


Envy Problems

by CrystalMoonlightI



Series: Huniepop: Problems Series - Gamer Girl [2]
Category: HuniePop (Video Game)
Genre: Arguing, Best Friends, Cousins, Drinking, Driving, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Issues, Fighting, Goth Chick, Groupies, Guilty Pleasures, Huniepop, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Kissing, Love/Hate, Making Out, Mall Brat, Manipulation, Masturbation, Musicians, Mystery, Payback, Regret, Revenge, Self-Destruction, Self-Discovery, Sexual Content, Soul-Searching, Vaginal Fingering, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2018-08-13 01:44:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 68,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7957480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalMoonlightI/pseuds/CrystalMoonlightI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike's life is in a downward spiral. Consumed by his regrets, he's abandoned any hope of finding love and lives for passion, while his bratty cousin Lillian only cares about her own selfish feelings. Lastly is Audrey Belrose. Furious them both for different reasons, she's out to settle the score. </p><p>(This story has been revamped with added polish, set perspectives from chapter six onward, and a new Hunie! Takes place after the Social Problems BAD ENDING!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Indulgence

**Author's Note:**

> As the description suggests, this story is set after the 'Passionate Surrender' ending of Social Problems. I hope you enjoy this continuation of the previous tale. If you haven't read Social Problems then I would recommend doing so in order to have a better understanding of the plot!

"Okay! That fucking does it! How about you bring your smug little ass over here? I'll rip you a fucking new one!"

The high-pitched screams of the most rowdy redhead on campus were fast drawing a crowd. Hands on her hips, Audrey Belrose flipped back her crimson strands, chuckling with the flare of a bitchy diva, "I'm _sick and tired_ of you playing your depressing music till the early hours of the morning – seriously screws with my fucking vibe."

Earrings were coming out in preparation. The party girl wasn't going to stand idly by and let this gloomy little whore ruin her chill time any longer.

"What-ever…. Gag me with a spoon like, for real…. Figures a burnout like you can't appreciate a real band like The Cure."

Luminously pale under the dim flickering dormitory lights, slender white fingers clasped together, eyes gazing transparently in disinterest. Audrey's little nemesis lethargically shrugged, "Are you done? I like… wanna go watch my music videos…."

"LILLIAN!" The spectators flinched at the volume Audrey carried. "Don't you move a fucking step! I'm not done with you yet!"

The frilly vixen eyed her prey, peepers narrowing in disgust at every inch of her appearance. That sickly, washed out complexion she had, those black jeans and the matching strapless top, not to mention those Snake Bite lip piercings. She looked like something out of an angsty teen movie.

"Ohhhh forget about it," Turning her back, the girl known as 'Lillian' let out an elongated sigh, her posture slumped. "Fuck my life. I'm outta here. Go bitch at somebody else, Belrose. You're soooo laaaame."

Audrey felt her blood boil, every passing moment only bringing her closer to melting point. This moody little bitch clearly didn't know who she was talking to! Nobody messed with Audrey Belrose. She was queen of this fucking dorm.

"Oh that's it! Now I'm _really_ pissed! GET BACK HERE!"

A red blur zipped past the bystanders, her heeled shoes thumping against the gum encrusted, filthy brown carpet that lined the hallway. Her target was locked, her aim transfixed mercilessly against the back of the girl decked out as dark as midnight.

"C'MERE!" It was time to teach her a lesson. Audrey remorselessly reached out, her nails digging into the thin fabric of Lillian's top.

"Dammit," Barked the gothic princess, her short legs wobbling as she found herself reeling back, the floor coming closer and closer with every passing second. _Thump._ Down she went, her senses spinning round and around for many a long moment, the only sensation she could discern being that of the crusty carpet against the side of her face.

"Shiiiiiiiiiit," groaned Lillian, her swirling vision slowly coming back into focus.

She pulled herself up again, using the wall as support to offset her jeopardized sense of gravity.

"Hey…. Did you see that? Audrey totally bulldozed her like a paperweight."

People laughed and sniggered, finding pleasure in the whole affair.

Audrey stood smug – proud, hands resting upon her petite waistline, basking in the glory of her position as queen. She loved every moment of it.

"Bitch had it coming," she sneered with a dirty grin, locking eyes with her victim, "That'll fucking teach you for blasting your dumb ass mus-"

A burst of swiftness. An ephemeral wisp of black moving so fast the eye could barely catch it.

***CRUNCH!***

The Mega Bitch felt her feet leaving the ground: for a brief moment, her whole body sailing through the air, her mind barely able to keep track of a single thing. _Slam._ Her back smacked against the ground, head spinning from side to side. Damn that hurt! The frilly prima donna brought her hands over her face protectively.

Audrey gasped. Her palms felt warm, damp even as they clasped around her visage. Something wasn't right. A sickness swirled in her stomach, her vision looping round and around. It was bad as that one time she'd gotten drunk while riding the coaster at Corkscrew Carnival.

A shrill shriek from another student was what it took to send Audrey headfirst into the land of reality, "Someone call security, and the nurse! Has anyone here got Tiffany's cell number?"

"I-I'm f… fine, jus'a little… dizz-" Audrey gagged. The room spun.

Vomit in her mouth, the bitterness of stomach bile rising up, dizziness making her ill.

Audrey groaned, her hands falling away from her face. "Blood. I- I'm bleeding..."

Lillian stood tall, one of her pasty hands clenched into a fist: yet she felt as small as a mouse trapped in a room filled with cats. Whispers were bouncing off the walls, while rows of eyes stared accusingly.

A cold grip, it was cause enough for the girl to flinch in surprise. Upon turning around, the first thing the girl saw was a security badge, its polished finish shining faintly against the low lights.

Brining her gaze up, Lillian stared – eyes deadpan against those of a towering wall of feminine muscle.

_The dormitory security guard._

"Miss… I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me."

The whispers doubled, getting louder and louder.

"I think her nose is broken." Lillian heard much as she was marched away. Totally didn't stop her from smiling.

"Serves her right…."

Rounding the corner of the corridor, Lillian left the scene behind, her footsteps reluctantly guided by the member of security who had so _courteously_ come to collect her.

About halfway down the corridor that same female guard stopped dead, her polished boot-clad feet rooting into the ground like a seven foot tall tree. Her collosal shoulders tensed before she stared back at Lillian, her short black curls waving as her powerful brown eyes pierced like sharpened knives.

"I'm sure you're aware that we'll have to report this – university policy. Give me your name please."

 _Stern and abrupt_.

Lillian rolled her murky eyes of blue and grumbled in disdain. "Lillian… Lillian Winters."

Alas, she found herself stood in front of a colossal double door at the end of the long corridor. She felt not a shred of remorse for her actions. She'd tried to warn Audrey plenty times before, the bitch, and she'd never gotten the message – well, not until now, anyway.

The security guard turned back, a disapproving frown curving her dried, chapped lips, "You ain't got a guilty bone in your body, do ya girl?"

"Errr… noooo," spat Lillian in retort – giving a scoff of disgust. "I totally couldn't give a shit. Mom and dad are gonna be so proud of me…."

"That sure as hell ain't no way to live your life," With a solid shove, the door to the office, complete with the 'Security' lettering written across the front, came swinging open. "You keep on acting like that and you're gonna crash and burn. Mark my words missy, you can't keep going through life not giving a damn about who you cross."

"Ewww… gawwwd," Lillian shook her head. _Annoying_. Holy shit, this random idiot was preaching to her like mom always did. "Like, you can stop with the life lectures…. If I wanted one of those I'd drag my ass back home to my parents…."

"Fine. If that's the way you wanna be, then that's your choice," the guardswoman fired back in stiff reply. "But I'm sure you have the sense to realize Glenberry University is a pretty high-end place. The faculty don't take kindly to that kind of violence."

"Urgh," Hands clasped together in frustration, Lillian groaned, rolling her eyes. "If you're gonna expel me just do it already…. I've totally got better things to do with my life than wade around in this dump writing sociology papers…."

* * *

The whole world felt heavy – tiny strings of light slicing through the gaps in the ebony curtains with vicious intent. A deep yawn and the lazy flutter of thin bug-like wings. Waking up was the worst part of the day!

"Okay Kyu," the girl prompted herself in a sluggish drawl. "Time to get up."

 _Bzzz._ She caught sight a cell phone through sleep-blurred eyes. It was on the verge of vibrating off the edge of the smudged glass coffee table.

"Duuude," she writhed and wriggled, her slender body tangled up in that of another, "Miiiike…. Your phone's ringing…."

An abruptly broken snore, "I'll get it… I'll get it…"

Scruffy peroxide hair, glassy green eyes, and an unbuttoned shirt – all the signs of a nocturnal creature shaken from sleep far too soon.

Mike, Glenberry's premier lover, gave a weak heave of the body, but it was for naught. "You're lying on me, Kyu…. Can't really get up with your legs wrapped around me and your-"

"My tits pressed against your face?" Kyu answered in a sleepy giggle, a sprinkle of fairy dust leaking from her pores, "It's cool, homie…. I'll get it for ya…"

A snap of Kyu's fingers saw Mike's phone dance its way whimsically into the palm of his hand. "There ya go."

Thanks." He flipped up the screen with a lopsided grin, his brain still not thawed from sleep, "It's Mike. Who is it?

"Wake up, you lazy slacker… it's your Uncle James." A warmer voice than expected – one to bring a smile to Mike's face even though his brain was still frozen. "I need to talk to you about something. We have a bit of a problem on our hands."

Now that didn't sound good. In all the years of living back home with his uncle, Mike knew that tone too well. _Worry._

He sat upright, shifting the paperweight that was Kyu. She snorted, unwilling to move from her place across his chest. "Easy Tiger… it's only noon-"

"Shhh," came Mike's response, perhaps a little too stern as he brought the phone against his ear, brows knitted with concern, "What's wrong?"

"It's Lillian… she's been kicked out of University. Apparently she got into a fight with another student. Now the stubborn little miss is refusing to come home... and to be honest," a sigh came over the line from James. "Mike… You two grew up together… you're as much a son to me as Lillian's my little girl. I hate to drop this on you, especially since you have your own place and your own responsibilities now, but-"

"Oh for God sakes. She's been causing trouble again…." Mikey paused nervously, his heart picking up in anticipation. Just what did his uncle: the man who was practically his father-figure, want?

"Can Lillian stay with you until she decides to come home? Aunt Marie and I tried to rein her in but she won't listen to a damn word we say." Mike kept his ear pressed against the phone. Kyu meanwhile, sat up with droopy eyes, her head tilted in vague curiosity.

" _Who is it?"_ She asked in clumsy lip-reading.

" _My old man,"_ being the response Mike gave. _"He needs my help with something."_

Finally, James cleared his throat and seemed ready to continue, "You're the only person I can think of that she won't have too much of a problem with. Being honest with you, m'boy, I don't like the idea of my little lady slumming around some hostel in the Downtown distruct. You know what it's like over there. They have those sleazy motels and the shady entertainment studios…."

Mike let out a sigh, his memories of the last time he went to Glenberry's infamous Downtown still prominent, "Trust me Uncle, I know…. Played down there with the band a couple of times. It's filled with liquor stores, two-bit talent agencies, and I swear they said there's a cam stu-"

"That proves my point all the more," James cut in again – his voice this time sounding just a little more desperate. "It doesn't have to be too long, but please… for the sake of your cousin... for Lillian's well-being."

 _Family_. It meant more than anything. Mike had always believed that. If it weren't for his aunt and his uncle taking care of him then he would've been in a far worse place than he was today.

There was no way he could turn down a request for help. His lips curving into a smile, Mike gave a nod: true, it was an invisible gesture, but the sentiment was much the same. "There's no need to start pleading with me. It's like you said, Uncle… I grew up with Lilli. Besides… I've been worried about her since she started going off the charts like this…. She has my address. Let her know she can come over any time after seven tonight."

"Thank you, Mike," James sighed. There came a pause for a moment, "I'll give the stubborn madam a call now. Hopefully she'll pick up… and Kid, I want you to know… your mother would be extremely happy if she could see that family pride of yours."

Words that left a lukewarm pang. Hot and cold swam in Mike's heart for a moment. Mom, the woman he'd never had the chance spend time with. She was painted as nothing short of an angel by his uncle for the entirety of his life. "I'd like to think she's still keeping an eye out for all of us."

"Yeah," James' voice came across deflated. He missed her. He'd always said as much. " I'llTalk to you later, Mikey. Make sure Lillian stays out of trouble..."

With that, the line went dead. Exhaling, relieved to have that conversation out of the way Mike lazily slung his phone on the coffee table. "So… I have family coming over for a while. My younger cousin Lillian… she's eighteen."

"Oooooo," Kyu whistled, snapping her fingers in a little eruption of party streamers. "Is she hot? Nice boobs, round ass? You know… the kinda girl you wanna motorboat to Barbados and back?"

 _Well damn. t_ he love fairy was up to her usual antics again. Mike could only laugh – parked between awkwardness and holding back a laugh. "That's the girl I spent most of my life growing up with, Kyu. You can't expect me to answer that." His lips twisted into a suave smile. "Enough about that for the moment…. After all… I've got you here with me…."

Leaning in, he gave a low, hot-blooded growl, and leaned in, playfully nipping at kyu's neck.

"T-tiger," she rasped, "We're breaking the rules again…. I was lucky Venus reassigned me after last time. "I-I'm supposed to be finding you a new girl to date… you're kinda running out of- Ahh… running out of options here…."

"Can't say I give a shit…. I've got you," he smirked. "I think I'm good for now."

With a clap of her hands, Kyu whipped up a nice lacy number in an enchanting shade of magenta, the strings barely covering areas of her modesty. Moving in, she pinned Mike to the couch with her hands, "Audrey, Tiffany, and Nikki. That's three…. You're getting short on choices…."

Mike fell back against the leather of the couch, Kyu's lips locking with his. Her magical intensity swirled around inside him, its powes enough to shape his pupils into hearts. He moaned softly, contentedly, and slinked an arm around Kyu's back.

When she parted, the love fairy gazed upon him with mystical passion, her own pupils bending as if by magic into the same unusual shape. "Buuuut… I _do_ like having you all to myself…."

Miss Sugardust crept downward, her hands grasping for his place of _delicate majesty._ "I guess we can have a little more fun… at least until I find you a new girl…."

Mike's focused, his gaze becoming cool and collected, his roguish spark coming back. He'd lost Kyu once before, but having her here like this? It brought everything suave and smooth, the things he loved about his _newer self_ to the surface. "It feels good to win for a change..."

Leaning in, he passionately slammed his lips against Kyu's. Sparks of red surged across his body, bringing the heart in his chest to thunder.

Kyu seperated, He drew back too with a string of glittering silver saliva keeping them joined. "How about a flash or two of magic, my little Pixie?"

A soft purr, clapping her hands together, Kyu obliged. Her fingertips glowed with a bright orange warmth. "Your jokes are so lame."

Yet that didn't stop her from taking him into her hands, "But I'm still gonna have my way with you, homeboy…."

Through the heat, and through the lustful flames of wanting, Mike felt the slightest ache, a hollow twinge hidden deep within the core of his being. Blue eyes and baggy sweaters, red locks and frilly dresses, and blonde pigtails with pristine skirts. Nikki. Audrey. Tiffany.

' _Sorry ladies… I guess it wasn't meant to be, was it?'_

Oh, to be smooth, to feel empowered, and to hold the flames of endless desire in his mortal hands. It was a feeling like no other.

_'I don't care about your past… so long as you accept me.'_

Nikki's voice – her stoic but gentle tone, rang in his mind for a moment. A reminder of the past. If any girl was a victim of the three, one so utterly wounded by his departure, it was Miss Ann-Marie. Her miserable scowl, the way she fought back the tears and ran into the night, it was a memory that hadn't been able to for get.

_'I g-guess you don't want me anymore... Fine... if that's how you feel... I'll leave you alone...'_

Yes indeed, to be empowered, how much of a delightfully indulgent, hollow bastard it made him feel, "Alright, Kyu… Do it…"

Slowly but surely, a drawn-out squall of bliss erupting from her delicate lips, the fairy eased herself down – the mythical beauty and her human crush becoming one. "Hope you're ready, Mikey…."

**To be continued….**


	2. Painful Truth

The Bar and Lounge – something of a premier location within Glenberry to say the least. Usually there was a long line to get in at this time in the evening. However, a certain cheerleader was friends with the owners daughter – one of the benefits that came with being cheer squad captain. However, to say there wasn't a reason for all of this would have been quite the monumental dishonesty. _This was far beyond a casual meeting_.

Three girls, three very different personalities, and not to mention three very different sets of aspirations to match. They sat together in the furthest corner of the establishment, thEIR table illuminated by the whimsical flicker of a scented candle. They looked calm and relaxed enough.

Tiffany was on alert. she sat beside Nikki in the same way a protective cat stood guard over a newborn kitten.

 _Tension_. It consumed what should have been a nice evening.

"So… I asked you both here tonight because I think there's something we have to talk out..."

Just the sound of Tiffany's voice was cause enough to make Nikki flinch, taking aim with a nervous at the shined wooden table top.

"What is this all about?" The gamer girl twiddled her thumbs between a reserved sip of her beer. "I should be questing in Neon Gods by now…. They've just released a new expansion pack…."

"Yeah, Tiff," Audrey;s the group's rouge firecracker barrelled in last, her uptight postire falling to the wayside as she downed what must've been her third daiquiri by now. "Dragging us out here like this but not giving us a damn word about why…. C'mon, girl… spill."

 _This was the moment of truth_. The pinnacle, and definitely most dangerous point of the gathering. The cheerleader felt butterflies in her tummy. The queasy kind.

' _No... there's no backing out now, Tiffany…. You have to do this… for the sake of everyone….'_

"Raise your hand if you've dated, or been involved with Mike Winters over the past six months."

"Shit… you called me out here just for that," Audrey raised her hand first with a frustrated bark. "I don't see why we needed this meetup. You know how I feel about him… the slimy fucker…."

Miss Maye raised her hand next – a grim shudder of recollection serving as the reminder of all she'd was promised. Broken promises, almost all of them.

"Everything should be out in the open. The three of us keep avoiding the subject... It's making hanging out together difficult."

Two girls of the trio stood committed to the question with raised hands.

"I guess you're waiting for me, huh?" Nikki uttered, finally joining them, halfway holding up her hand.

"WHAAAT?" Audrey sprung up from the table in a crimson eruption – slamming her palms against the wood with eyes trained in sharpened fury, "You too, Nikk? No… FUCK THIS SHIT!"

Tiffany felt the glares of near enough every patron burned into her back after Audrey's outburst. All she could do was move to defuse the situation, quickly.

"We need to talk about this," she levelled with the burning fury of her bestie, "It's true… he's played all three of us…."

It certainly was a sight, watching Audrey slide back into her seat. Her hands shook, crawling around the length of another daiquiri-filled glass, "Y-you're fucking with me, right? Please…."

The desperate, almost begging glance the party girl gave a frightened Nikki was painful. Tiffany felt her heart ache. After all, in their own very different ways she and the redhead always protected Nikki. She was the gentle one. Naive and locked almost every day inside her room.

' _Honesty is the best policy. We can't keep going on pretending this didn't happen.'_

Nikki was silent. Too silent even for Ann-Marie standards. Razor tension sliced the air.

"I… I guess." A desperate sputter from the gamer girl. "He promised me so much shit… I really started to feel something, and then one day…."

She pulled a strange phone from the pocket of her shorts, a fancy smartphone with a heart-shaped power button and a glittery pink screen. "He sends me this…."

_'_ _Nikki, it's me…. If I don't do this now I won't have the strength to push ahead and say what needs to be said. I finally think I've gotten everything straightened out in my life. Well, I feel as though I know the best way forward. I can't deal with having a relationship right now. God knows, they've caused me my fair share of crap lately. So, I think it's best we stop meeting up. I'm not gonna drag you down the same path as me, not when I know you're a special lady with a lot to give to someone out there. Thank you for everything, and… I'm thankful we met that night.'_

Mikey had been up to his old tricks again. He'd lied about not making contact anymore. Tiffany frowned.

' _I saw him delete her number the night we met at the bar…. He gave me his word….'_

"Bastard... he thinks he's something really special, doesn't he? Well... FUCK HIM!" Audrey, boomed. She got up, burning red hot. She fiddled with her purse, producing her own, battered phone and slinging it into the midde of the table, "Take a look at this, Nikki."

Audrey glanced Tiffany's way. "Sorry, girl…. You've seen this one before…."

Miss Maye could only watch as Nikki's eyes widened behind her spectacles. A picture of Mike, barely clothed, asleep in Audrey's bed.

"I feel like such a fool for trusting him... for wanting to give him a chance. I should've known better… but he seemed so… kind at heart." Nikki's reaction was much how the blonde felt when the revelation was first cast upon her – pained and uncertain. Her sapphire eyes gave it away.

"Hmph!" Audrey pulled the phone back between her fingers, sliding it away within the confines of her bag. "We need to do something about him…. I mean, he thinks he's fucking Romeo or something, but you know what sitting through that boring-ass play in school taught me?"

"You mean Shakespeare?" Nikki chimed in with an innocent tilt of the head. "I liked it. There's an RPG for that one in PC n-"

"Shut up, Nikki. I'm trying to make a point! Romeo didn't get a happy ending…. You guys saw it too, right, the modern version where they had guns 'n shit? My point here's still the fucking same…. You really think I'm gonna let that bastard get away with it? He treated us like crap, trampled those shiny shoes all over us like fucking doormats!"

Tiffany pulled her thoughts back from her time watching the modern movie adaption of the Shakespeare classic in high school literature class. "But if we try getting back at him… are we any better than him? You know what they say about packback..."

Morals. The things setting her apart protecting her from the blackened doings of her less than sparkly mother.

 _Ironic._ Mike Winters and Jessica Maye seemed to have an awful lot in common at this point in time.

"I have to agree with Tiffany." Nikki clutched the bizzare phone in her hand as she chimed in. "Some people you can't save from themselves…. Wouldn't it be better to…well... let him fall apart on his own?"

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?" Audrey flew up from her space at table with a finger of accusation.

"You," Tiffany flinched. She was first to receive the raging torrent of the angry redhead, "You wanna be straight about this? FINE! I'll give you some home truth! Are you forgetting how that FUCKER almost ripped our friendship apart? Have you really forgotten so damn quick that we didn't talk for WEEKS after we first found out?"

"Audrey…. I never he-"

"Then there's you, Ann-Marie." Audrey had already turned her guns to fire on the next target, "I don't like that look you have in your eyes…. When I mentioned him a second ago it felt like you were defending him!"

Tiffany felt Nikki cling to her arm with terror in her quivering blue eyes, "Y-you're wrong. I'm just saying that… maybe… we shouldn't let a guy like him ruin our lives…. He's not worth it…."

"Alright!" There was no stopping Audrey when she burned up like this. She threw a handful of bills on the table to pay for her drinks. "If you two aren't going to do anything then I'll make damn sure he doesn't have the chance to play games with us again…."

"Nobody hurts me and my friends and gets away with it... and I'm done being treated like his little fuckhole."

The redhead slung her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you later…. Don't call for a couple of days; I'll be busy, especially since I'm the only one with some fucking backbone….."

Tiffany didn't dare to turn her back and look out to the sea of patrons when Audrey stormed out. The chatter circulating between tables was almost deafening. "I have a really bad feeling about all this Nikki. How about you?"

Nikki wasn't paying attention. She was glued to her... phone? Pink with heart-buttons? Was it custom made?

"Hey…. Ann-Marie?" Tiffany spoke up. "That 'thing' in your hand… it is a phone, right? I've never seen a model like it before…."

Nikki sighed sadly, and yanked her gaze from the glowing LED screen, "It's called a Huniebee… I got it from a friend. She said it was important… and that I needed it for... well- "Forget it, you wouldn't believe me if I told you…."

Tiffany had took that as her cue to be quiet. She slumped, defeated with her head in her hands and let a tiny little whimper escape from her lips, "Everything's such a mess right now…."

' _It isn't just a mess, Tiffany…. It's a complete and total disaster….'_

* * *

the apartment was as clean as it was going to get on such short notice. Mike sat sprawled across the couch in a pair of casual jeans and an unbuttoned shirt, his thoughts sat at a cool drift amidst the quiet.

"Weird…. I didn't expect Kyu to take off so suddenly, but I guess if she had to cover another client on short notice there's nothing I can do." His eyes wandered toward the television as his channel flicking finger settled upon the news, "It's close to seven-thirty…. I wonder if Lillian is coming af-"

***ThudThudThud***

"Yoooooo! Cuz! Like, open the door or something, I'm like, freezing stood out in this hallway."

A nervous smile Mike got up. Such a long drawl of a voice, one so light yet bratty at the same time could only be one person. A person he hadn't seen in more than a year at the very least.

"She's here…." A couple of tense footsteps in the direction of the doorway. Mikey stopped and took a breath to calm his nerves. "Alright, keep it steady. It's been a while but there's nothing to worry about.

 _The moment of truth_. A stiff hand clutching the handle, Mike pulled the door open with a sharp tug.

His heart jumped in an instant as two blue eyes met with green. The little red organ in his chest thumped as his brain ran in overtime to connect the dots.

"Lillian?" Who the hell was this girl? Sure, she had the same pasty white complexion and dark hair he remembered, but where had those curves arose from, such a well-endowed chest, a developed figure… not to mention the tattoos… and a lip piercing?

"Cuz… You're like, totally messing with me, right? Mike?" Lillian had the same dumbfounded stare to match his. "Like, what happened to your hair? Peroxide blond _? You've been... working out as well? For reeeeal? Oh-my-gaaaawd."  
_

Her hands slid down to her hips and she give a snort of laughter, "Who is this alien and like… what the heck happened to the guy I grew up with?"

' _A fairy happened, Lillian. She swooped in, fixed my life, built me up and then I tore myself back down again. Now here I am, somewhere between a person I know and a total stranger... Still, I'm stunned by the size of those b-'_

"Hey! Earth calling Mike! Like, wake the hell up, man! C'mon… Are you gonna like, let me stand here all night?"

"Oh, sorry!" Reality crashed back to free Mike from the confines of his thoughts. With a fragile smile, he took a step back. "Come in and make yourself at home. It might be a little messy, but hey, I've been busy recently."

A single invite was all the gothic stranger, almost like a vampire given her sense of dress, needed. She romped in, kicking off her shoes and launching herself upon the couch, long pigtails skewed.

"Wow, like… not a bad place you've got here." Lillian looked the place over as Mike brought in her suitcase and sat it beside her, "I can totally see why you didn't come home after finishing college…. The music biz must be treating you good..."

Man, this was so awkward. Mike sat on the arm of the couch. Had he really fallen so far out of touch with the girl he'd been raised with?

The sound of a lighter snapped him back – and just like that, with the sight of his younger cousin lighting up a cigarette, he woke up. The last think he wanted was an ash burn on the lether. "Let me get the ashtray from my room."

"I didn't know you smoked," Lillian commented, taking a drag."

"I don't, but it looks like you haven't slowed down any since I last saw you."

' _Okay… so that's one habbit she hasn't broken. Seems like Uncle James' lecutres didn't help her ease back on the smoking at all…. Considering our age difference… how did she get people to buy them for her when she first started?'_

Shaking his head, the elder Winters went to grab the ashtray from his room – coming back to slide it on the lounge coffee table before taking his perch again. "So," he continued nervously, the need to make some form of conversation looming more than ever, "Do I need to address the elephant in the room?"

"Ohhh shit," Lillian batted at the ashtray like a cat with yarn until she leaned close enough take it in her fingers, bringing it to rest upon her exposed tummy, "You're gonna ask why I got kicked out of college, aren't you?"

She rolled her eyes, looking pretty damn uninterested in talking about the whole affair, sitting halfway upright, "What-ever…. Fine…. I guess I'll tell you the story… it's pretty short."

Mike nodded.

"Well... It is the reason you're here after all, and considering you won't talk to your dad about it... I figure you can at least give me the details, right?"

It was strange – just moments before everything felt so cold, almost frozen, yet it took but mere minutes from Lillian's return for things to thaw, almost like she never went away. Just like that he was back to being the older cousin again, the one to always lend a hand when his younger charge did stupid shit to damage her prospects.

Some things never changed in life. _  
_

Lillian slid one of her legs over the side of the couch – spread unladylike. To say she looked 'picturesque' right now was one way of putting it, especially with her legs wide and her well-endowed chest almost spilling from her tight, strapless top.

"So there's this bitch, right?" The moody girl started before taking another hit of nicotine. "We've been like, arguing for what must be like… forever. I listened to my music after dark, she bitched… I had my friend over in my dorn, she complained cuz I was like, two doors down the hall from her and I was a little loud..."

Mikey could only begin to wonder where in the world all of this was going. He felt more like an elder sibling than a cousin right now.

"So… it gets to this point where she's sick of seeing me, right? I know, like, what-ever…. How in the world could someone get tired of having _me_ around? I've got some great taste in music, awesome fashion sense, but apparently this skanky little bitch thinks I'm 'too dark and moody' for her. You ever had one of those days when you just think 'fuck my life?' Yeah we all have those…."

Lillian let out a grumpy growl before firing up another cigarette.

"So what if the world pisses me off sometimes? Life can be like, really shitty! But like, yeaaaaah. So, I'm totally listening to The Cure after class, and she comes slamming into my room and drags me out into the hall… says something about how she's 'tired' and she 'needs sleep' because she's seeing some guy later tonight."

Mike rolled his eyes. A shallow complaint. Music was supposed to be loud. "Carry on…. You've peaked my interest at this point."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Lillian laid back against the side of the leather. "So I'm stood there and I'm thinking to myself about what kind desperate shithead would go jamming his junk in her dirty snatch, and the next thing I know she's getting crazy abusive, so I turn to walk away... Freaking bitch shoves on the floor!"

So that was how the fight started? The good bit was right around the corner, it sounded. Drink time. "Hold that thought for a moment while I grab a malt."

Mike slid across to the kitchen area and reached for a shot glass and a bottle of the Firewater.. "Continue… I've needed one all day."

"Okay, so," Lillian spoke up again, her feminine assets damn near hanging out out of her shirt at this point. She didn't seem to care. "After that I end up seeing red…. This hoe never like shut her damn mouth. I'd plain had enough. So I jumped back up and smacked her… right in the piggy nose. Didn't break it… but I was close, I think…."

"Damn," Mike took a mouthful of alcohol and sat the half empty glass come back to the lounge, sitting his glass on the coffee table. "No wonder they kicked you out? Violence in university…. No offence here Lili, but that kind of thing doesn't fly outside highschool…."

"Oh gawwwd," she rolled her eyes and frowned, "Are you going to lecture me now, too, Mike? You sounded just like dad for a second…. It's okay for you… nice place, doing well for yourself…. Mister Perfect gonna cast judgement? Like, for reeeal?"

"Look... I'm not trying to pick on you… God knows, I'm not perfect either… but how long have we known eachother, Lili? C'mon, you're a smart girl, smart enough to know you don't start conflict like that…."

"Bitch had it coming…. You know what? Fuck all of that…. I'm done talking about it." Lillian jammed her stub of a cigarette out, moving aside the ashtray to shift a little closer to Mike, "I don't believe you. I haven't seen you in so long, and the first thing I get is a lecture….."

"All I want is to help you…."

Lillian narrowed her eyes of blue, hands sliding down to rest upon her curvy hips, "Hey… I'm happy you gave me a place to stay. That's great and all, but… you have no idea how hard shit is for me… so don't…. just don't…."

Lillian's life was hard? How in the world did she reach that conclusion. Mike sighed.

"No idea how you can think that. Uncle James poured a ton of money from one of his music stores into putting you through college. He always looks out for you…."

"Let's just drop it, okay?" The goth brat retreated, crawling across the couch and hugging her knees toward her chest. "It's been a long, shitty day packing my stuff in a damn suitcase…. Can we go eat before I pass out?"

"Sure thing," Mikey finished up with his drink. "Where do you feel like going? There's the Bar and Lounge across town. They still have a dinner menu this late if you're eating inside."

"How about Indian food?" Lillian peaked out from her protective ball. "I'm craving spicy stuff."

"Nope… you know I'm not a fan of Indian cuisine." Mike shook his head. "Anything else you might want?

"Italian?"

Pasta sounded like a good idea.

"I'd be game for that. Give me give me a few minutes and we'll head out."

Mike swept past his cousin, on the way to his room to get changed. "Oh, and Lillian? It's nice to have you around…. Makes me feel like I'm at home all over again."

"Ewwww, you can like, quit being all sappy on me, damn…."

"Fine," he shrugged, "That's my quota for being a helpful cousin reached for the day."

Mike went into his bedroom, stalling in front of the mirror before kicking the door shut. "She's going to be a handful… living here with me."

"Lilli's gotten worse... No wonder Uncle James asked for my help. Still... is there much I can do to help her?"

_'I have enough problems of my own right now... speaking of that..."  
_

The Huniebee on the bedside draw hadn't rang in days. "I wonder why Audrey stopped coming over..."

Enough dwelling on it. "Life's easier this way... hurts less..."

Things were fine as they were, right? Keeping things casual was the way forward.

"Commitment hasn't been great for me."

That very same logic made him ask a question. "Then what in the world is going on with me and Kyu right now?"

She'd been back over a month - the contract was signed. Was that not a form of commitment?

"Fuck it... I'm done thinking about it right now." The words from Mike's mouth brought about a dark chuckle, "Damn... I sound just like Lillian..."

**To be continued….**


	3. Bar Fight

**Bar Fight**

Another week gone by and another reason to worry about his dearest cousin. To say Mike was concerned about Lillian was something of an understatement. All she ever seemed to do was sit around smoking, drinking coffee, and listening to music videos. She had no drive, and worst of all – nothing to motivate her.

"You're not old enough to be in here, you know." Mike nervously tapped his fingers against the side of the bar - the surface sticky with spilled drinks.

Lusties – his old haunt from days long since passed. The vibrant techno beats swam in euphoric harmony as a host of handsome young men and beautiful women danced the night away. It'd been a while since he came in during the week. Hell, it'd been a long time since he came in here at all. It was sad in hindsight - especially since he'd spent so many Saturday nights singing in here with the band at one point in time.

"What-ever, cousin," Lillian leaned back against a discarded stool with a nonchalant chuckle, "It's not like the people working in here actually _check_ your I.D card or anything…."

A further cause for alarm – Mike sighed and slipped past her, "Follow me. I've got free reign in the V.I.P room. If you're so damn insistent on us staying in here… we'll go drink up there."

"But that's booooring… shit!" The gothic princess whimpered as she followed in tow. "Since when did you become such a goody two shoes, Mike?"

Words that brought bitterness to the blond singer – that much was certain. "I'm the last person whose example you wanna follow. Take my word for that, Lili... I'm no role model."

Mikey turned back – man, trying to get through to her was harder than he'd hoped, "I don't want to see you get into any more trouble. Back home you raised enough hell with all the shit you did in school…. The last thing you need is to make a bad name for yourself here, too."

"Ohhhhh fine…. Your concern is noted, oh angelic cousin of mine."

Lillian paused just behind him and reached one of her pale hands into the confines of her jeans, "I'm heading outside for a cigarette…. You care to join me?"

No – Mikey didn't quite fancy crowding near the doorway with the usual smoking crowd as they breathed nicotine everywhere. "I'll pass," he spoke with a shake of the head. "You go ahead. I'll wait here until you get back."

"See what I mean? You're boring…." Alas, with a petulant stamp of her feet, Lillian weaved and ducked through the clubbers on her quest to reach the doorway.

Alone now – Mikey took a breath - thinking things over. "It's not that I'm trying to be uptight... It's that I know how destructive I can be when I let things spiral out of control. I can't let myself set a bad example... I've driven enough people to ruin. I ain't letting that happen to you, cousin."

With a sigh, the green-eyed vocalist reached for his drink. Luckily, the music served as the perfect fodder to drown out the flurry of conflicted thoughts. "You're as stubborn as me… Lillian Winters. Keep going like that and you'll fall hard…."

* * *

The rain beat down from an angry night sky as Lillian huddled in the doorway for her nicotine fix. What was up with Mike lately? It had been a while, that much was a given, but even the last time she saw him he seemed much more... cheerful. It was as if he was a different person, so stern and serious all of the sudden.

"It doesn't suit you, cuz… not one bit." Sparking up her lighter with a bitter smirk across her lips of midnight black, the young lady tapped her foot in frustration. "Here I thought I'd have a good time staying with you after all these years Mike…. Fuck knows… I was lonely not having you around when you cleared out."

But what had changed him so fundamentally?

"When you left home you had so much chirpy optimism it made my skin crawl… It's like the fire inside you went out or somethin' shitty like that…."

Maybe 'went out' wasn't the right way to put it. Perhaps his interal flame darkened? Something was the cause - but she couldn't put her finger on it.

The stomp of heeled boots against the rain-sodden concrete echoed in Lillian's ears as she took a much-needed drag of her cigarette. It wasn't until a hand clasped against her shoulder – its grip near tight as death, that she finally flared in alarm.

"The fuck? Take your hand off m- YOU! Bitch… what in the hell are you doing out here?"

A dress red as flames with expensive frills and tassels, topped off with only the most expensive white boots. The outfit clung in picturesque form to a girl of skin snowy white – as long rouge locks poured down her back in a most luxurious poise.

Audrey Belrose – the bitch that cost her a place in Glenberry University.

"What are you doing here? I didn't think they'd let whores like you in without an invitation." Words that Lillian stuck by with a fiercely defensive fold of her arms, her powerful blue eyes focused like knives amidst the rainfall.

"How about you get the fuck outta here before your flowery little outfit gets washed out in the rain. Shit… you look like a drowned fucking rat…" She kept up the pace with intensity, going so far as to snarl at Audrey and glare her down.

However, "You almost broke my nose… skanky hoe," the redhead didn't back down for a second, meeting the sickly pale brat with a scowl of equally hateful demeanour, "I don't see why I should let you wander your nasty ass around in _my_ club…. An outfit depressing as yours in Lusties must make the whole crowd want to off themselves…."

Oh no – she did _not_ just insult her best jeans and tank top! Lillian stepped up and prepared to set the record straight. No way was she taking that lying down.

"I knocked you flat on your bony ass once… I can do it again," Arms folded, a devious chuckle sliding out to set the pace, "…News flash, you little red slut… I think your nose is looking a little crooked. You might wanna get that checked… not that someone like you afford the medical bills. Heh... not unless you go suck a cock for it..."

"THAT FUCKING DOES IT!"

Lillian braced as her body reeled back – struck hard by the force of a red blur. Audrey had her hands outstretched like a panther on the attack, nails clawing in something of a bestial rage. "I'm gonna end you! You think you can screw with me, you anaemic tramp?"

* **Crack***

Miss Winters struck hard across Audrey's porcelain face with the side of her palm, using the momentum to shove her back and worsen their tussle. No way in hell was she going to let Little Red Riding Whore make a fool out of her a second time!

The two struggled back and forth – at one point Lillian felt her feet tremble as Audrey pushed with a surprising amount of force. They clawed, scratched, and punched at one another like hellions possessed.

Not even the security dared intervene, "We better call the cops."

"Holy shit! Check it! These two cats be killin' each other." It didn't take long for a crowd to start forming even in the downpour. They circled like vultures, girls whispering back and forth while muscle-bound men hooted and cheered for their preferred pick of the two.

Audrey swung out with a punch – Lillian felt her legs wobble as she flew back. Her back pressed against the cold, damp ground, she was defenceless as the redhead held her to the floor and scratched with red claws into her face.

"Payback for the day I spent sat in the doctor's office, bitch!"

The dark-haired beauty saw it in the eyes of her red nemesis – she meant serious business.

"AUDREY! Get off her for fuck sakes!" A familiar voice – smooth as butter yet still hellishly loud amidst the battle. Shoes clacked against the ground, coming closer with each passing second.

"Mike?!" The party girl spat with venom seething in her rubies, "Go fuck yourself pretty boy! She has it coming!"

Lillian's head turned woozy - her body soaking up blow after sharp blow. Everything was becoming a blur, and a painful blur at that.

"I said take your hands off me!" Audrey screamed out as Mike dragged her off.

Finally able to move – the bratty younger cousin carefully stood upright, her legs jittering as she set her eyes dead ahead.

Audrey squirmed and screamed in a desperate struggle to break free, "Let-me-go!"

It was for naught - the remaining door attendant stepped in and restrained her in an ogre-like grip.

"That's quite enough, Miss. You're coming with me until the police arrive," and just like that, he made his way toward the door with a frightfully stern expression. Looking back through the crowds, he eyed the two Winters cousins, "You two as well… wait in the V.I.P room until the cops get here…."

The word 'cop' didn't bother Lillian in the slightest. In fact, she felt the faintest butterfly in her stomach. Her vision, finally corrected now she was upright, honed in on her older relation, "Thanks… I guess. Crazy bitch wasn't gonna stop…."

Mike eyed her hard - it squashed her gratitude in a fearful torrent. His gaze – it was cold as stone, "….Stop-causing-trouble…. For your own damn good….."

"Okay," she whispered, reaching out to grip his arm tightly, "Sorry…."

Despite the horrendous frown twisting his features, Mikey didn't let go.

Nevertheless, after a couple of moments, his expression softened just a fraction "We're getting out this rain before my jacket's ruined… and you ain't leaving my side until we get those gashes fixed."

* * *

Tension – it was so horribly thick that Mike felt his stomach swimming with a deep-rooted sickness. He sat there on the couch as a towering man in a black uniform, arms rippled with muscle, stirred downward with all-seeing orbs of dark-brown.

"….I am so sorry, Officer Chang." The elder Winters stirred into his lap nervously, hands clasped together in something of a desperate apology. "I swear to God… she isn't always this badly behaved."

Looking up with fear in his green orbs – Mike took in the sight of the authority-figure in all of his might. His facial features, slightly aged and gruff, twisted into the faintest look of compassion. Officer Barry Chang, an Asian-American beat cop, and something of an acquaintance to the young singer. Indeed, one of his daughters, Mimi, was studying music at U.O.G, and was something of a friend.

"Relax, kid. I know this isn't your fault," Barry let his arms drop to the sides and pulled up a stool to seat himself, "I checked the surveillance footage, and your cousin didn't start the fight… it was Miss Belrose. Not just that, but considering Miss Winters was knocked to the ground getting pummelled like that... we're not taking her in."

Relief washed over Mike like the calm blue sky after a storm. Thank Goodness – this was one less thing he'd have to explain to Uncle James when he next called. However – something still didn't make an ounce of sense.

"But sir," the vocalist stood, hoping he'd have his question answered, "If you're not keeping her overnight then why? Why did you put her in the back of the car like that?"

"Scare tactic… I figure it should make her think twice the next time gets tangled up with the wrong person."

Mister Chang stood from his stool and nudged it to the side with his foot, "Usually we'd be a little harsher in these situations… but considering this is her first time on my radar - and she's your relation… I'm willing to let it slide."

To say Mike saw that coming was definitely not the case. His heart raced in overdrive. Indeed, this whole altercation had been a cause of undue stress. "….You have no idea how much I owe you for this… I swear, Officer Chang, she's a good girl… she's just a little misguided is all."

"Heh," Barry smiled the slightest bit as he made his way for the door, " _You're_ a good kid, Mike…. You do a lot for the music students at the university, and my little girl thinks you're reliable. A word of advice though… keep Lillian in line, okay? I don't do this job so I can throw every 'misguided' kid I come across in a cell, but there's a limit to my generosity – I'm sure you understand."

"Loud and clear – crystal clear."

"Good…." Chang stopped beside the door and waited as Winters moved to join him. "Now… you take your cousin and head straight home. No more detours and for goodness sakes… no more trouble."

"You don't need to tell me twice."

The law enforcer left with a stern nod of his head, "Keep an eye on Mimi for me, alright? I'll see you round… and hopefully not under such 'official' circumstances next time."

With that – Mike was left alone in the silence. A sigh of relief set to calm his nerves, "That was far too close for comfort. What would I have said to the Uncle James if I'd had to bail Lili out of a cell?"

It was all too much – and the blond found himself exhausted. Moving back across the room - he leaned up against the glass viewing window of the V.I.P room, closing his tired eyes. "You're important to me, Lillian… but if this is how you've been acting since I left home then you're gonna drive me mad."

* * *

Dinner was silent – nothing more than a pair of lukewarm noodle boxes from a little Chinese stand near the marina. Both containers sat practically untouched upon the rounded glass coffee table. Indeed – there was a thickness in the air within the apartment.

Mike glanced across with nervousness – Lillian sat curled up in the corner like a ball in the same way she had arrived days before. Legs hugged against her chest, she did nothing but glance back with dull gems of blue.

Indeed, Mike had to do something to stimulate some conversation. "So," he began quietly, his hands slinking together in a tight clasp, "Doesn't look like I'm the only one who knows Audrey Belrose… talk about irony."

Lili peeped out from her little self-defence shell. Good, at least that got a reaction of some kind. "Errrr, yeaaah. She got me kicked out of the university…. Little Miss Bitch is the one starting these fights… fucking lunatic."

It took but a moment for the younger Winters to hit the mark, "Soooo... like... how do you know the crazy whore? I only saw for a second, but when you came outside to pull her off me, she was _pissed_."

Mikey wasn't prepared to appease her curiosity. A casual flick of the wrist in disinterest, and he reached for his food, "Another story for another time… just be grateful I was there to lend you a hand… or you might've been in a cell tonight…." He followed up with a mouthful of noodles. Their terrible texture in conjunction with their coldness was enough to make him regret the choice and put them back down.

"Please," Miss Winters pleaded softly – her eyes shining with sincerity, "I wanna know…. I mean, dammit…. I haven't seen you in so long… feels like I hardly know you these days. You're so different... What happened when you left home?"

Words that punched the singer in the deepest core. His brows furrowed in annoyance, but regardless, he finally surrendered, "Alright… I guess I owe you something after all the time I've spent away. Audrey and I… it's a _complicated_ situation. We were dating, and then we weren't… then she kinda started 'coming over' on weekends when I wasn't busy with the band."

"Ewww… gag! That's soooo gross." Lili placed a hand over her mouth and shuddered, "You're fucking that dirty bitch? Mikey…. C'mon…. I know you weren't the best with the ladies... but Audrey? You better go bleach your dick..."

"Past tense," he rubbed his temples to each the pressure as best he could, "I'm not going to downplay how bad the entire thing is… because it's utterly screwed up. You see… I dated a couple of her friends too…."

Lillian almost flew out of her corner of the couch – swooping across and latching onto Mike's arm. Her eyes wide with shock, she gave his limb a stiff tug, "What in the- SHIT! You are the same Mike, not an alien in disguise, right?"

"Ease off… I'm still the guy you grew up with… I've just… well… my life is very different to how it used to be." No kidding – such a statement was putting it mildly, and he knew it plain as daylight.

"When you left a for college," Lillian backed up, her expression turning somewhat dark and despondent, "…You were hopeless when it came to girls. The only thing you cared about was your music. No style – no poise, and now it's like someone waved a magic wand."

An apt way of putting it to say the least, "I found my hidden potential," chuckled Mikey as he laid his head back against the leather. Such an intense evening had brought with it a headache. "Now it seems like I got a little carried away…."

"You live life by your own rules," the pale young lady honed her gaze, "I like it… and if I'm honest… despite your bad taste in women… I'll admit it- I think you're better off."

"Hmm… you'd be the first person to tell me that in a _long_ time. For a while, I've been feeling conflicted about my life choices… but having you around? Makes me feel as though shit isn't so bad."

"Welcome," Lillian shuffled forward on the leather of the couch. Her cheeks glowed with a soft pink shade. Slowly, nervously, she reached out and placed her arms around Mike's shoulders, "Been a while since I gave you a hug… feels better than I remember…."

The elder of the cousins stiffened in surprise. Yet as Lili snuggled against his chest - any sort of guard he had was quick to evaporate. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Cocky bastard. Shut up 'n hold me," The slender princess rested her head upon her cousin's shoulder, "….Thank you… for saving my butt, I mean. Don't think I could've dealt with more lectures from dad. Fuuuuck that."

"Anytime – as long as you don't go making these fights a regular thing. " Mikey kept a close eye as Lillian loosened her hold and inched back. Her eyes, there was something different about them, a glimmer, maybe even a sparkle.

"Yep… You're like, totally different, yet strangely the same," she giggled, leaning in again with her cheeks aflame deepest red, "I can't explain it… but it's almost like… you got a little more-"

A quickening in his heartbeat sent Mike into a warm frenzy as Lillian slid closer, her eyes speaking a silent volume that words simply would not permit, "Reckless? Stupid?"

"Naaaa.," the woman reached back and gave a pull on her pigtails. In a single heart-stopping moment - her naturally wavy hair flooded down her back, "You believe in destiny? Fate or some shit like that?"

"I believe I'm always walking a path," came Mike's response in tune with his quickening pulse. Having Lili so close to him like this, her curves; her curls, and most importantly, her hauntingly white skin, it set something he'd not noticed until now alight. "...and a single decision holds the power to change the route I take in life."

' _In the years since I last saw her she's grown and changed a lot – body wise and persona- Now I'm being an idiot…. Get away from that line of thought… You have enough issues to deal with, Winters….'_

"This'll sound crazy deep… but when I look at you Mikey… I get the feeling you're fighting against something - kinda like me…."

"And what might you be fighting against?"

Lili looked apprehensive – indeed; it was as if her entire demeanour changed. The flush faded, and her smirk fell into a small frown, "What-ever. Doesn't matter."

Just like that, the senior of the two cousins was left dumbfounded as Lillian crawled back - she seemed off in her own little world. Once again, the silence held the power to be deafening. A stalemate of stillness – it burned the senses.

Seconds slipped into minutes, and finally, Lillian looked back – apparently returned from her trance-like state, "You don't get it... how I've felt all these years. It's not easy living in someone's shadow..."

"What are you getting at?" Mike stared as he sprang up from the couch, "I won't have a clue unless you tell me how y-"

***THUMP***

A black wisp jumped up and attached itself, "Lili-"

Lips – soft and warm, influenced his own and aggressively sucked against his membranes. Unyielding, Mike lost track of his heartbeat as its thunderous tune sprung out of control. Lillian deepened fast, taking complete control and jabbing her fingers into his chest to perch herself in the perfect position.

The elder Winters staggered on two uneasy legs when he was finally released, his eyes widened in utter shock, "….Lillian." In his mind the sensation played over continuously as if it never ended.

"My way of thanking you personally… I'm waaaaay better than that whore in the red dress."

A mixture of cascading emotions rampaged within - Mikey stood speechless. His heart throbbed - there was something about their sudden embrace of lips, something he didn't entirely hate.

Before he could say anything, his younger cousin was already halfway across the room. "Stealing your room tonight… need the space. So… looks like you're on the couch. Night."

With little chance to object, the door to his chamber thundered shut, leaving the vocalist bewlidered and alone in the middle of the lounge area.

"What in the world was that?"

Yet deep down a spark so very faint electrified his now quieting heartbeat. It alarmed him, but beyond that, his lips curved into something fast resembling a faint smirk, "...Goodnight…."

As he slumped upon the couch the musician's mind swam with thoughts of women. Nikki with her baggy sweaters and her video games – Tiffany with her golden locks, Audrey with her violently flaming temper; Kyu, his currently absent fairy with her magical powers, and lastly, Lillian, his long since estranged cousin who had stumbled back into his life.

"I can't catch a break no matter how hard I try... Just my luck."

' _You're my firefly… sweetheart…. Honey! Such a sexy little thing… a girl so strong you make my heart sing.'_

The chiming of the Huniebee served as a reminder – a song that had never reached the light of day, intended for a girl who never became his beloved. Reaching into his pocket with a nervous groan, Mike plucked out his phone and flipped straight to the message screen. After seeing this thing take on a life of its own when he was briefly seeing Nikki – he knew what this meant.

A text waited for him, "Hold on… no caller I.D. How bizarre."

' _I hear Audrey got herself in trouble… can't say I'm surprised. I'm sending this message to give you some advice… stay away from her, okay? She's mad and she means business…. Before you go wondering, who sent this… it's someone who wants to see you safe. Anyway, be careful… you're not the nicest guy in the world but… the last thing I want is to see you hurt. You might not believe me… but there's someone out there that really cares about you. Sapphire. X x x.'_

"Sapphire?" Mikey pondered the name for a moment as he slumped on the couch, "…. I don't know a girl by the name… and how'd she get my number? Worse still… why is the Huniebee not displaying her information – it should list contact details automatically."

A dull throbbing seared his head – causing a short gasp to escape, "Screw it… I'm done for the day."

Flicking off the lights brought with it some relief for his tired eyes. – it was time to get some rest.

**To be continued….**


	4. Haze

Saturday night - the aftermath of another gig at Lusties. Mike sprawled against the bar with a quiet smile, and lips pressed against the side of a glass. There was nothing like a good helping of something strong to ease the post-music adrenaline. His eyes swept across the sea of people upon the dance floor – it never seemed too quiet in this nightclub. After all, the manager was smart – varying the music on different days to lure in patrons from all manner social cliques.

"One more and I'll head home," Winters nudged a pair of crisp bills in the direction of a bartender, nodding his head with a smooth smirk, "Same again, on the rocks this ti-"

"How about I get that for you, cutie?"

A curvy girl winked at him, her locks of most gorgeous golden-blonde held up with an adorable pink bow. Her long, thick legs shined a beautiful ivory white under the glow of neon hues - while her voluptuous behind jiggled within the confines of tight-fitting denim shorts. She sprawled over the bar with a darling giggle, her most ample womanly assets almost spilling from the 'protection' of her loosely buttoned white shirt. Slinked between the fingers of both hands she held drinks – a pair of brownish cocktails.

No bra – Mike's thoughts pulsed in overload as this impressive spectacle of feminine allure brought her fullest smile into the picture – the booze was irrelevant. A thump of the heart: not just caused by her body, but the wonderfulness of her face, too.

Her crystalline-blue eyes shone with backing from all the wonderful colors in the club. Dotted upon her smoothed, whitened cheeks were soft freckles – while her round button nose twitched as cute as a button.

' _Damn…. She's hot… really fucking hot!'_

The thoughts weren't pure – the singer made no attempt to drown them out, either. Instead, he popped the top buttons of his checked-black shirt and slid a little closer – offering the bar stool closest to the angel with a suave gesture of his hand, "Grab a seat, sweetheart…. I'd be happy to take one of those drinks off your hands…."

"Like… don't mind if you do, handsome!" She chuckled again between the stiff valley-girl twang of her accent, parking her bottom - and with a crimson shade consuming her cheeks, she handed one of the beverages over.

"I'm Charlotte… and you've gotta be Mike, right?"

So she'd heard of him already – this was a very good start, "Yeah… you're right on the money. I'm guessing you came to see us play tonight?"

Another heavenly giggle – Charlotte brought her glass closer to sip, "Came all the way from Oakridge to see you guys! Oh… and so I could meet with my bestie, too! Not seen her crazy butt since we finished high school."

"In fact," the curvaceous lady turned, "She's right over the-"

Mike watched as she paused in mid-point, her blue sparkles widened with surprise, "Oh… that's weird! Well… she was right over there, anyway."

It was time to bring this line of conversation back on track. The singer leaned in closer with a truly devilish smile – he was ready to set things in motion, "Don't worry about her, beautiful. I'm much more interested in you, anyway. You said you came all the way across the county to see me, right?"

"Oh God, yes!" Charlotte squeaked, "And it's so awesome I can meet you in person like this! I've only ever heard your music on the radio! What was the song…? 'Destiny' or something? I love that one SO MUCH!"

"Old news, I'm afraid," the playboy broke from its shackles – Mike let his passions do the talking from here, "Destiny's from our early days… but… if you want… we could go somewhere a little more 'private' and you could tell me more about yourself? Maybe… just maybe… I could write you into one of our new songs."

A scream erupted from the blonde fangirl as her hands clasped together – her eyes wide and radiant like something out of an old cartoon, "Yes! YesYesYes! THAT WOULD BE SO COOL! In fact… I've got an even more, like, super-awesome idea!"

Mike downed his drink – ego flaring in full force. Man, he'd gotten so good at turning on his charms for the ladies. Once again, Kyu's guidance served to make him even more powerful, "Indulge me, sweetness," he uttered smoothly, "Because right now… my eyes are on you…."

"I like," Charlotte blushed a furious flame-red, her hands shuddering with excitement, "….I'm staying in a motel out of town… how about we go back there?"

"I'm," she stammered sheepishly, "I'm so happy to finally meet you…. I don't wanna waste our time together in a place like this…."

"But what about your friend?" Winters had the girl in his grasp now. His blood coursed red-hot through his veins – he could feel it, his Talent, winning him yet another beautiful prize. "I'm sure you don't want to leave her here all by herself…."

"She'll understand… she's a big girl." The freckled beauty plucked Mike's hand and brought it closer – allowing it to rest upon the softness of her semi-exposed bosom, "Now… let's get the heck out of here…. I've got so many things I want to show you…."

Bingo – fireworks erupted within as Mike slinked with the deadly charm of a snake, "You read my mind," and placed a soft kiss upon his lady friend's lips. Yet another guilt-free conquest of the female heart – it felt so wonderful.

' _First time I've picked up a fan after a show… but I can't help myself. She's smoking hot!'_

Charlotte took his hand as their lips separated, "Alright, Mike…. Let's go find a taxi…."

* * *

A surrealist swirl of colours – breathing hard and laboured amidst a sandstorm of contrasting shades and shapes. They danced and flicked in unison, forming the deepest reds, the most powerful blues, and the harshest hues of yellow. The warmth of union – it brought even the darkest souls to rest. Amidst a wave of powerful music, the blond singer found his senses frayed and scattered. The organ in his chest pumped frantically as his furious 'assets' took their rightful claim. Cries of ecstasy swam within a dystopian pool of sounds - as the foggy shape of a curvy girl gasped in sweaty release.

"More… more… please… don't stop!"

Every movement felt heavy – its consistency bringing the toned body of the roguish vocalist further and further toward the edge. It felt so good, so amazing in fact that he kept up with the motions of the ocean. His body, enveloped in an invisible blue flicker, moved on reflex, while his thoughts rang out in lustful fury. So this was what truest passion felt like? It took his limited knowledge and effortlessly smashed it.

"Oh shit…. I'm almost… almost there…. OH MY," A howl of glorious euphoria, "Yeah…. That's it! Oh shit… you're more than just a pretty face, aren't you Mikey, baby?"

Overload – a hellish flare of enjoyment burned through Mike's connection to the self. A wonderful wave washed over his body – and the only thing he could make out was the softness of another rested against his chest.

"That was… PERFECT!" Charlotte's voice rang out – gracing his ears most pleasingly, "I'm like, super glad I came out to see you guys play live…."

Smiling contentedly, Mikey laid back against the pillow, arms folded behind his neck for support. His eyes twisted with a cloudy swirl of blue, "Glad I could be of service."

_I've got the power…. Knew I was right to stop being so sentimental with the ladies. As long as I've got my charm… and my talents as a singer... nothing can stop me. Thanks Kyu… thanks for turning me from zero to a motherfucking hero! I'm totally untouchable….'_

Thoughts of grandeur stuffed his head – the notion of his name in lights as the band exited a beautifully shined limousine for the music awards. First, Glenberry, and then onward to the rest of the country. His meek gentile attitude of the past had done nothing to change his life – and his pre-Kyu hopelessness before it had achieved even less. Indeed, only like this could he reach out and attain his desires.

' _Nothing's gonna hold me back now….'_

* * *

Pain – or something closer to sluggishness, it was the first thing Mike felt when his internal switches flicked back into place. Through a battlefield of drowsiness he trudged, his entirety overcome by a weight so powerful, he could barely lift his head off the pillow. His first thought was a simple one as the alarm mounted:

'Sleep never feels this heavy…'

Struggle was a severe discredit to the trails his ailing form faced right now. The usually slow process of his brain thawing was even worse this time around. It took everything he had, a surge, and a pulse, something gargantuan.

Light assaulted his eyes – no doubt thanks to the paper-thin motel curtains. An excruciating feeling close to a knife surged forth, stabbing his head with a most indignant discomfort. His brain, wracked by the force, responded in panic and his vision jittered until finally stabilizing itself.

"Man… I feel like shit…."

The battle wasn't over just yet – not until he summoned every ounce of strength he could, and rather forcefully pulled his body upright with a pained cough. Bells chimed internally – their intensity something close to Vatican City – it was a source of concern, all right.

' _What in the world happened last night?'_

Every attempt to recall was met with a shroud – a grey lingering veil over his memories. Sighing with frustration, the singer kicked his legs off the bed and finally stood upright.

***Crunch***

A piece of paper underneath his foot? Well… that was unexpected. Reaching down to pick it up wasn't without its share of groggy aches and pains. Regardless, he persisted and took the little white sheet into his hands, eyes of green running over the contents – neatly written contents in blue pen, at that.

' _Morning hot stuff! If you're reading this I've like, already checked out… gotta work later on this afternoon! I know, shame, right? I bet you wanna spend more time with me. Last night… it was special…. You ain't just a sweet voice on the radio anymore… you're so totally real! Don't freak though, baby…. If you start to miss me then I've already put my digits in your super cool phone…. How did you get one with such ADORBS heart-shaped buttons? Call me… I totes need to see ya again! Love Charlotte. ^_-.'_

"Charlotte?" Everything was still a mishmash of chaotic pictures – nothing was coming to the forefront despite Mike's best attempts. "Why am I having such a hard time remembering anything from last night? Huh? What's this?"

On the floor beside the spot the piece of paper had been – a rounded pellet, more like a whitish pill. Picking it up was the easy part, figuring it out what it was felt like the bigger mystery, "Don't tell me I took something…"

The lone white offender brought a shiver up Mike's spine – its coldness acting more like a spectral figure, "Now I've got a really bad feeling…."

His first reflex was to check over his surroundings – it seemed messy, but nothing too out of the ordinary for his morning ritual. Articles of clothing lay strewn across the beige carpets and dusty draws of the grungy abode - a pair of jeans thrown on the desk area, a sock at the foot of the bed, and his shirt sprawled messily beside the bathroom door. Where his boxers had gone was a total mystery. There was no denying that the man-made heap didn't help the already tattered room.

Peeling wallpaper and mould encrusted corners, a real roadside truck stop, that was for sure. Yet Mike would've felt far more at ease if he'd been able to recall what actually happened with some clarity.

Uncertainty, it wasn't something Winters enjoyed, and that was putting it mildly, "I need to think back… try and piece together the speci-"

' _I gave you my heart… on the wings of broken promises! But it doesn't matter….'_

Another attack to his already fractured senses came in the form of his cell phone – it sang and vibrated across the bedside table, but for the longest time Mike couldn't bring himself to answer it. It was the sudden influx of volume, it proved far too much to handle. Alas, the blond man remained bolted to the floor, frozen in time. Regardless, his cellular device of magical creation kept on singing with its smooth frontman call.

"I better answer it… as much as I don't want to."

A clumsy athletic burst of energy took his weighty body the few steps needed to reach the instrument of musical torment. Scooping the phone in his left hand, Mikey jabbed his finger against the 'Accept' icon on screen. "Yep... You need something?"

"Winters… I assume you're aware of the current predicament we're in. I hope you can enlighten me as to why you chose to do it… because right now I find myself more than a little jarred." Mark? This early in the morning? No wait – what time was it? A quick glance toward the battered silver alarm clock revealed it was one in the afternoon.

"Seriously, man…. I've just woken up…. What 'predicament' are you talking about? I'm sat here with a headache from Satan himself and I'm absolutely clueless."

"Please don't insult my intelligence with dishonesty," Mister Kane's reply only served to deepen the confusion. "After all… your exploits serve to land us in a sea of trouble… that is unless you have an exceedingly good explanation for them."

"'My exploits', Markus… I'm more than a little lost here…. I don't have a clue what you mean."

There was a long pause across the line – followed up with a deep and encompassing sigh from Mike's friend and manager. "Then perhaps it would be best if you check the band's website… that should provide you with all the answers you need."

"Listen to me," Mike came back, his frustration rising, "I already told you…. I couldn't even begin to tell you where I am! Everything's still blurred together... I can't really check the website right now."

Silence – it only worsened the mix of dread and annoyance the vocalist felt. Why wasn't Markus being more frank? He was usually renowned for that, of all things.

"…If what you're saying really is the case… then please come back to town as swiftly as possible. I'll be holding an emergency meeting of the band at The Bar and Lounge… you know the one, I'm sure?"

"A band meeting? For real, there's no need! We did great! Markus… seriously! Did you see them last night? They fucking loved us!"

" _Michael_ ," the sternness of Mister Kane's lone word held enough power to silence the younger blond man outright. His fingers clamped tighter around the phone. True, 'Michael' wasn't his birth name, but the sentiment for such a formal use meant one thing, his manager was pissed.

"….Forgive me, Mike. I'd like to believe in your good nature. You have been as faithful as a brother to me these past three years, but right now, I find myself in a 'difficult' position. Don't waste any time… come straight back to Glenberry, all right? Our table is booked for seven this evening… and please don't let me down – I had to pull some strings to make this reservation."

The ominous 'click' – Mark's hanging up did little in the way of making Mike feel any more at ease toward this frankly disorienting situation. He sighed, punching his fist against the headboard of the bed, "….I need to head back to town… but first I better figure out where the fuck I am…. None of this makes any sense."

Tiny pieces of last night's events crept forward in a throbbing crescendo – the sight of an adorable girl with blonde hair in a bow. "Where did you take me after we left the club last night?"

* * *

"Oakridge?!" Mike thumped against the reception desk in horror – a tiny little town in back and beyond. Christ, it was over an hour by car from here to Glenberry. Any further and might as well head back to his hometown of Greenville.

"Yes sir," came the stern follow-up from a rather plump lady receptionist, "I can call you a cab if you'd like, but I imagine the fare will be at least eighty to Glenberry. Otherwise, there's always the bus… but you can expect a two hour journey with several stops along the way…."

There was no time – Mike needed to get there now! A feeling in his gut told him there was chaos afoot, and he had little in the way of power to fight it. "Thanks anyway," he grunted through his teeth, "I'll figure something out…."

"You have a good day, sir… and please take a moment to relax… you're looking a little stressed."

'Stressed' was putting it lightly, "You too, lady, you too..."

* * *

"FUCKFUCKFUCK… FUCK!" Mike slumped on the sidewalk – thumping a stone with the side of his shoe in a desperate attempt to bring his burning temper down a notch. It wasn't working, "How could I be so stupid? I knew I should've picked up my credit card before leaving for Lusties…."

"Shit… now I'm stuck here… in the ass-end of absolute fucking desolation." Ominous black thunderclouds growled overhead, "Don't you dare rain on me… not now! I've had enough… and it's only two in the afternoon…."

_'Such a sexy, sexy… pretty little thing… a girl so strong you make my heart sing!'_

His phone? Again? Wait – it was a text message.

"Markus…. What do you have to say now?"

' _I called in a favour for you, Mike. Don't ask questions – in about ten minutes a black car will come to collect you - a driver and escort. They will take you wherever you need to go before delivering you home. These are men of my father's – so do not be alarmed if you see the Kane Business Associates logo on the side of the vehicle. Lastly, before you panic… I received an anonymous text message from someone called 'Sapphire'. They told me you were all the way in Oakridge of all places. I will see you soon… and please be more cautious in future.'_

A dry laugh – Mike held his face in his hands and let a silent tear of thankfulness trickle from his dimmed eyes of green, "Thanks, Mark… You've always got my back…."

Yet the contents of the message still held room for worry, "Sapphire? That name again…. What in the Hell?"

* * *

It was time – Mike stood at the entrance of The Bar and Lounge – one of Glenberry's premier drinking establishments. Gazing up at the warm sign above the door, he bit his lip nervously, "I wonder why they insisted I come here of all places?"

His fingers mauled the collar of his freshly ironed navy blue shirt – his eyes panned down to observe the shined dress-shoes of his attire. These inconsequential little diversions did little to bring his mind clear of the painful unease in his stomach, "No sense playing around out here." Stepping forth through the 'swish' of the revolving doors, Winters set his eyes of emerald dead ahead. "It's time to figure out what in the world is happening, here."

It was a full house. Sat at the centre table were two identical brothers, an aloof gentleman with his eyes concealed by sunglasses, and a reasonably well dressed, slightly chunkier man in his best smart-casual attire. Mark, Neil, Steve and of course, Jamie – the four of them talked in low voices back and forth – only stopping their dialogue when Mike arrived and pulled out a chair.

"Alright…. I'm here."

A snap of Mark's fingers and a nearby waiter scurried away, "Mike," the manager of the band nodded stiffly, "….The four of us need to know the truth about something…."

Four sets of accusing eyes, all of varying shades and intensity bore into the pit of the blond man's soul. He backpedalled slightly, a defensive raise of the hands to show his submission, "What are those looks for? Guys… you're seriously fucking with my vibe here…."

Even the twins – usually the carefree ones of the bunch, had a slightly surprised look, though one of them did crack a smirk, "….Dude…. How did you manage it, huh? To score with-"

"No, Steve," Mark glared through his shades to return silence to their table, "Put your libido to rest for a moment and let's address this serious issue like adults." From his pocket, the manager with spiked brown hair pulled a phone, punched a few buttons, and slid it across the table.

"Mike," he continued seriously, digits outstretched as he reached for his drink, "This was posted earlier today from your account… on our website for the group. Take a look… and then promptly begin explaining."

Mister Winter's brow raised in vague interest – it looked like the thumbnail of a video. With a couple of presses on the side button, he lowered the volume before jabbing the 'Play' icon with the base of his thumb.

Horror – his eyes widened in discrase, his heart immediately raising to such a speed as to bring pains in his chest. A twirling vortex grabbed his stomach, the sickness rising to the point where vomit was not far off on the horizon.

' _That's the spot! Right there! Please… Mikey… baby…. Don't you dare stop. Oh shit, squeeze me… claw me! I'm almost there-'_

The thoughts of the vocalist trailed off amidst the flurry of images running rampant. In this video clip, he lay sprawled across a dirty motel bed, doing all manner of intensely filthy things to a curvy blonde woman – with the height of this most unnerving sight being her whimpers and howls of unrestrained delight – all while she clumsily pawed at him with hungry eyes.

Everything froze in icy coldness – the phone dropping from Mike's hand with a _bang_ , "Oh shit…. That was filmed? No way…. NO FUCKING WAY! "

Mark swept the phone back in his grasp and glared toward his green-eyed friend, sunglasses tilted to reveal his stabbing blue lights, "As I said... this video is plastered across half of our pages under your name…. I want you to be straight with me, Mike…."

Jamie leaned in with a pained cough as well - and wet his throat with a stiff shot of golden liquid, "Did you upload this? Because we all need to know what happened - now."

Steve – currently the left half of the identical duo, flipped his amazingly long brown hair back and folded his thin, bony fingers together, "Mike, for real, buddy…. Sure it's cool to take a girl back for a little R&R… but don't record it, Jesus…."

"I swear," the walls of the room felt as though they were closing in – all the while Mike felt his throat tighten horribly, "I didn't do this… I swear… I didn't! I had no clue the video was even taken…."

"Well, whatever the case," Mark got up from the table and came to stand beside Mike – hand rested upon his shoulder, "Until we figure this out… there's little in the way of evidence to show you _didn't_ upload the video. To that end… we've decided to put the band on indefinite hiatus until we figure out what to do."

"No, not a chance!" A fear of world obliterating proportions shook Mike down to the core in an instant. His music, his dreams, all he used to define himself… his memories of his departed mother… it was falling apart before his eyes! Nothing could stop his emotions from flaring, "You have to believe me…. You can't freeze the band like this…."

Crushing his pain – Winters swung up from his seat with a sweeping gesture across the entire table, "This band's the whole reason we came to Glenberry… we've been chasing this since college!"

"There's more to it than that," Jamie took a moment to reach across the table – Mark passing him the phone as he went. After adjusting his position in the seat, he gave the screen a few prods and passed the phone along to Mike, "A pair of anonymous comments popped up a couple of hours after the video went live…. Pretty suspect if you ask me..."

Mike's head spun as the sickness threatened to overwhelm him – his eyes turning dead wide in most utter disbelief. No matter how many times he read these over, they made no sense:

' _At 11:15am today 'Krissy Campbell' wrote_ _\- See? Didn't I tell you this band was nasty? They're a bunch of total fuckheads. I've had their lead singer come onto me before, and now here's all the proof you need! Somebody report this video! It's disgusting….'_

' _At 12:07pm today 'Anna Rouge' wrote –_ _I'd heard rumours going 'round town that Mikey was a serious player, and now my eyes are open. I feel terrible for the poor girl in this video – does she even know it's been posted online? Somebody start a petition… let's boycott these guys and have pretty boy held accountable!'_

No words could describe this – Mike hung his head in defeat, "This isn't me…. You guys know I would't lower myself to such twisted shit," with clenched fists he looked back up, eyes searing hot, "This group is more important to me than anything! Why would I do something so stupid?"

A dry laugh of sarcasm - Jamie clenched his huge fists. Grabbing his drink, he downed the entire thing and 'slammed' the glass against the table, "Oh... great! Just fantastic! You think your word's worth something when we all know how much of a damn womanizer you're becoming? First it was the skank... the one who wore the expensive dresses, then you started flaunting some ditzy cheerleader around, and if that weren't enough..."

The bruising attack continued with a smug smile – all while Mike felt his walls crumble, "YOU put us on hold a little while back. As usual, you were having _problems_... Yet I saw you... strutting back and forth from the old arcade with some skinny girl in glasses! Now you stand there with the gall to complain about us putting things on the shelf because _your_ 'habits' landed us in hot water!"

_"That is enough - stop... before we start drawing a crowd. You're taking it too far, Jamie."_

Finally, a ray of hope. Mark took his phone back and gave Mike a pat on the shoulder, "I will admit… this is something seriously out of character for you, Winters. I would like to stick by you… truly I would… but I will not tolerate it if you lie to-"

"Utter bullshit," Jamie thundered – rising from his seat with the ferocity of a lion, "….You're not telling me you're buying this crap, Markus? We all know he's got a nasty tendency for letting his ego get the better of him. Wasn't this the whole point of tonight - so we could finally put him in his place for it?"

"Not just yet," Markus held out a defensive arm to bar his peroxide-haired friend from the torrent of rage, "Everyone deserves a chance to-"

Cutting the manager off, the bearded behemoth continued his rampage regardless, "Trying to take a step back, are you? It was your idea to hold this meet!"

Mike's stomach churned even harder as the sound technician turned to the twin guitarists in appeal, "You two can vouch for this... even if Mark won't. How many times have we had to cancel shows these past four months because of Mike's woman trouble?"

"Don't ask us to take sides."

"Don't ask us to take sides."

A response in unison from the brothers – both keeping their eyes down and their lips to their drinks.

"FINE! You know what?" Jamie boomed in thunderous rage – an all-accusing point of the finger stabbing Mike in the chest, "I'm sick of putting my time into the 'band' to see this fucking moron ruin it time and again with his dick! How can all of you keep letting his screw-ups slide?"

"There's such a thing as innocent until proven guilty," Mark stepped to the front and folded his arms like a guard, "We can't just oust our lead without-"

"This room reeks of bias - disgusting. All three of you have chosen your side already... typical! Well... don't blame me when it all comes crashing down!" No more words – Jamie swiped the coat from the back of his chair and stormed out, leaving a sea of gawking patons in his wake. He'd been louder than the background music, clearly.

"End of the line," Mike backed several paces away from Markus – giving him a respectful nod of the head before turning toward the door, "Thanks... for doing what you always do... but I see it, Mark - even through the shades. You're a logical man... Don't force yourself to fight my corner... No need. I see things for what they are... especially after everything Jamie said. I'm leaving."

The wounded singer slipped into the gawking mass of patrons beside the bar, and vanished. With his departure, the meeting was reduced to a sombre number of three.

Neil and Steve looked back and forth in confusion before finally clamping their unified gaze upon the 'leader' of sorts.

"What do we do now, boss man?" Neil finally spoke up - begging for guidance, "….I don't wanna see this little gig we have fall apart… it's been the most fun I've had in years. But serious talk for a second... you think he really did it?"

For once – Markus Kane was almost lost for words, "I don't know..."

The prodigy paused - letting his cloudy mind take stock of the situation for a moment, sitting beside the brothers with a sigh, "...It's true, the proof is sitting right before us... but certain aspects still feel flawed in my opinion. Let me pose you both a question. Have either one of you seen Mike take advantage of a girl by engaging in such sleazy activities in the past?"

"No..."

"No..."

Indeed - both sides of the mirror image shook their heads.

With that, Mark only pondered further, "My thoughts exactly..."

* * *

The video arcade – it'd been months since Mike last set foot in here. His memories of the place were still betrayed by how small it was inside. He couldn't explain for the life of him why he'd come here with spoken words – it was more like familiarity drew him in. The pinging of the slot machines and the chimes of the arcade cabinets, they brought his bleak thoughts to a place slightly warmer.

Blue hair – baggy sweaters, the joys of sharing pizza, and the warmth of many a shy embrace – even in his darkest hour he still remembered those photographic images. His feet dragged against the dirtied brown carpets, only stopping in front of a familiar game machine with the picture of a discoloured axe-wielding zombie on the side.

"House of Zombies…." Sliding a hand into his pants pocket, Mike fished out a couple of coins and focused on their rounded edges for a moment – smiling bleakly before slamming them both into the slot. In a violent shriek of inhuman terror, the machine buzzed to life with a glowing of lights. Unable to think of anything better to do, the singer picked up the plastic light-gun and sighed, "Here we go…"

***BangBangBang***

"Reload…."

***BangBangBang***

"Reload."

It was an empty cycle of pointless distraction – and it kept on going until Mikey finally stood staring at the bloodied 'Game Over' screen with a bitter neutrality to his expression. He cared not to move, nor cared to turn around and walk away. A single rogue thought slid into his head at that moment:

"I could never play as well as _you_ could… no matter how much I tried. I kept on dying time and time again… but you never gave up on me, did you, Nikki?"

Belief – it was something he'd been robbed of, and something he was pretty certain he'd robbed the blue-haired lady of as well. Indeed, he'd been a bastard most supreme. "Is Karma finally paying me back for all the shit I've done?"

Defeat felt most bitter indeed – his thoughts were slumped in the darkness again. Sighing finally, Mikey slotted the little plastic weapon back on its rack and turned in the direction of the door. One-step, two steps, three, and then four. Before he realized it – he was back in the street with little to no direction.

However, something caused him to freeze up as cold as ice. Blue eyes, bespectacled eyes of deepest blue stirred into his shattered orbs of green in surprise. His focus panned down next, taking in every contour of detail in the ensemble that stood before him. A blue shirt and a slim fitting black jacket alongside some thigh-length shorts, and of course, those trademark reddish-white sneakers she always wore.

"Mike…." A girl from the not so distant past – but one he hadn't seen in long enough for it to feel like eternity. She moved closer and closer with every passing second, but it only caused Winters to edge away from her.

"Stay away from me, Nikki…."

The gamer of blue paused just a short distance away – a hand resting upon her chest as her lips curved into a murky frown, "What's wrong with you?" she asked her question as characteristically quiet as usual, "….Damn… you're looking so washed out…."

"Nothing that concerns you…." Swinging back – Mike threw up his shoulders in stiff defence and walked away – there was no need to waste words, not when everything he held dear was in ruins like this.

Shoes echoed from behind – their persistence only serving to annoy him further, _'Stop it, Nikki…. I don't need this. I don't want you to follow me.'_

Indeed – he swung around with the intention of verbally barraging his female follower – but the sight of her solid, fearless blue gazed caused him to hold in place. For a reason he couldn't explain she seemed so different… it was almost as if she had this invisible blue glow about her.

"What happened? No need to be an asshole about it," Anne-Marie continued with folded arms, "I can see it… in your eyes, Mike Winters…. You're hurting."

So, he was that easy to see through? Sighing, Mikey hung his head low in an attempt to hide his face, "….It doesn't matter… all you need to know is… you might not see me around town much anymore."

Nikki gasped – and loudly enough for Mike to hear as well, "….If you stop being such a jerk about it I'll happily make you a coffee and we can go talk…."

"No thanks," Right now wasn't the time for it, "….Was nice to see you, all the same."

Those words left a stunned Nikki standing outside the flashing lights of the arcade – and just like that, the sharply dressed singer was almost out of sight. "…I'm always looking out for you," she called out before he rounded the corner, "...even if you do act like a douche…."

Mike stopped his course and turned back - slowly reaching down for his phone. To his surprise, Nikki's heart meter on the screen was still at a surprising two red hearts, "How do you always show up when I'm feeling at my lowest? It's almost like-"

The young lady was coming closer - the blond singer unable to uproot and make much needed space. Slender arms coiled around his chest - a head of soft blue hair resting against him, "...You're mean... and you're a liar, too... but I'm still happy you called me your friend."

"So..." Nikki released her hold, "Tell me what's happened to you..."

Her eyes disarmed him - those two blue oceans hitting him with the force of a tidal wave. "My band - It's in fucking freefall right now... and I don't know what I can do to stop it..."

Nodding softly, the girl grabbed his hand and marched on ahead - only stopping for a moment to adjust her glasses, "...Come on... lets go across to Nutmeg. I'll get you that drink I mentioned... so long as you stop acting all cold... I know you're better than that shit."

"Thank you," Mikey smiled weakly - staying beside Anne-Marie. Perhaps it was okay for him to turn back to the past - just this once. "I'd like that..."

_'How can she still want to see me after all of this? I don't understand...'_

Regardless - he kept a gentle grip on the girl gamer's hand - fearful embers fizzled in his mind with every step.  
 __  
'I didn't do anything wrong, I know it. Music... it's been a huge part of my entire life - I'd never do anything to put that in danger... So then... how has everything spun so far out of control?'  


**To be continued….**


	5. Lady Sapphire

A meeting between two friends on the university campus. Mid-afternoon and Nikki couldn't help but watch in amusement as a certain Miss Belrose scribbled away against a ragged piece of paper with bright purple ballpoints. People gave her passing glances as they hurried between classes – but a great many were silenced by viperous hisses.

"Is that _thing_ you've got there supposed to be one of your essays? No way they'll let you submit it with all the notes across the margins. You don't even have a reference page attached to the ba-"

"Butt out, Anne-Marie," the redhead snarled, tossing her pen from the side of the table and plucking another one from the 'pile' she'd accumulated in her corner of their shared space, "You can't go judging me on how I do my work. Shit… you're not even in university. Speaking of that... keep your visitor tag on show, dammit. I can't afford to get busted again."

It was times like these that the gamer girl really wanted to stand up to people. Thankfully, she'd felt much more confident recently for reasons she couldn't explain. Pushing up her glasses, she smirked and went in for the kill, "I might not be in UOG… but I still have the entire university referencing guide memorized from page to page... and Audrey? It's your fault you got into trouble the other day."

"God, really? You weren't there, you didn't see the way Little Miss Bitch was badmouthing me," Audrey snorted – her hand ablaze with deft movements of the writing implement. It didn't take long however for her to give up. "You know what? This assignment can piss off…. Miss Yumi gave me an extension until Wednesday….."

"Anyway," the porcelain diva folded her paper, scooped up her pens – and tossed them all into the bottom of her expensive little bag with a smirk most twisted, "….Have you left your cave long enough to hear the latest gossip? I tell ya Nikk… this one's _juicy_ as fuck!"

The way she rubbed her hands together resembled that of an evil mastermind on the prowl. The sour chuckle that followed only reinforced the scene all the more, "….I heard this rumour from a girl in Lusties. Third Betrayal…. _Pretty Boy's_ band… might be breaking up! Turns out he was caught sleeping with a fan or some shit… and it leaked to the internet."

A hard emotional _thump_ slugged Nikki square in the chest. In their meeting a couple of days prior Mike had mentioned his band was in trouble, but he'd never gone so far as to mention the specifics. What she wanted to do more than anything was whip out her Huniebee right now and message the singer for confirmation, but that would've been too obvious.

Instead, there was only one option. The blue-haired barista hardened her gaze and knotted her fingers together into a clasp. It was time to play the fool – because of course; Audrey would be one of the first to have heard such a malicious story.

"No way, you're shitting me," if anything, playing all those RPG's had taught her how to get into character. Right now she was a daring rogue with a silver tongue, "….I knew he was a jerk but jeez… sleeping with a groupie? That's low…."

"Oh it gets even better," Audrey chuckled icy cold, her hands supporting her sides, "….It's plastered across their official website! Fans are commenting left and right – one girl even talked about starting a petition to make them quit!"

The character façade fleeted under such an intense revelation. Little holes cracked in the metaphorical mask – and it took all the strength Nikki had to stop her surprise from leaking through, "A major jackass," she replied stiffly, "Why would he do something like that?"

' _Keep it together Anne-Marie….You've got to stay incognito. If she figures out you've been talking to him then it's all ove-"_

"You okay there, Nikki?" Audrey came back with a flip of her vibrant hair – slumping against their little wooden lunch table with a sigh, "….You've got some seriously weird look going on there, kinda like you shit yourse-"

"I'm fine," a quick response was best right now.

The bespectacled beauty reached for a paper cup just across the way. Steam rose from the top as her nostrils took in the wonderfully intense aroma of expresso. Her lips graced the piping hot drink, taking short sips before setting it back down. "You're looking real happy with yourself, Audrey – but anyway… I need to pass on a message from Tiffany… she was wondering if you've had any luck tracking down her phone. It doesn't look like she's found it yet – and I checked my house but it isn't there, either."

The excitement in the party girl's eyes finally looked to be cooling. Still chilled against her rickety little chair – Audrey fished around in her clutch – slender hands fishing out a white packet and a lighter, "No wonder she hasn't been answering my texts."

She jammed a cigarette into the corner of her mouth – fingertips sparking the cheap plastic lighter with the furious precision of a sharpshooter, "Didn't she say it went missing after we last visited the Bar and Lounge? I went back a little while after... but I didn't find find shit when I looked."

Nikki tore her gaze away with a short sigh – finishing her drink and quietly slipping out her regular phone. It'd been there purely for show these recent weeks. "She's coming over to my place tomorrow. I'll let her know we haven't had any luck. It sucks she lost it – might be better in the long run if she buys a new one."

"Phones are expensive," Audrey scoffed – taking a drag nicotine and puffing out a hefty plume of smoke, "Don't see why you'd wanna burn your money on something dumb like that when you could spend it on partying."

Of course she'd say something like that – the girl who had practically no appreciation for technology. Heck, her phone resembled something from the previous decade, "You know, Audrey… an updated phone might be good for you. You could use it to surf the web and order your clothes online. You'd save so much time instead of going to the mall almost every day."

"And end up wearing a discount turtleneck like you," she looked horrified at the thought, "Na, I'm just fucking with ya, but no thanks. I ain't saying I don't know how to use sparkly-ass phones like yours and Blondie's… I just don't give enough of a damn to waste my time with em'."

"Suit yourself." That conversation was well and truly over.

"Hey! I have an idea!" Audrey came barrelling back past the silence with a grin – one most evil at that. "Pass me your cell! How about we go online and look up Mike's video? C'mon! I bet it'll be hilarious!"

"You want to," Anne-Marie bit down hard to stop herself from getting too loud – mentally cursing as the light flare of her native Australian accent slipped out, "….You want to see Mike… _doing the deed_? Kinda weird, don't you think?"

A giggle escaped the redhead – palm resting over her mouth in suppression, "First time I've heard you go all Australian on me in a while… sooooo funny!"

"Hey," Nikki lowered her head and frowned, "Quit it with that shit, won't you? You're a hypocrite."

"Ohhhh whatever," Audrey flung her head back in a hearty laugh – its strength gradually thinning out as she came back to her friend with a playful wink, "Only thing that makes me French is the damn passport – been here most of my life."

"You can speak the language – that's worth something."

"Only use it in bed… drives the dudes wild," Audrey stubbed out her smoke against the tabletop, "Now are we gonna watch this video or not?"

The gamer would've given anything to burn the mental image of her friend gasping and sputtering in a foreign tongue. She presented her phone in defeat – a stiff roll of her eyes to externalize how she felt, "You're not giving me a choice, are you?"

"Not unless you want to pay for my drinks next time we hit the club, nope."

Audrey flicked her thumb across the screen, typing against the keypad with gusto, "Found it!"

She set the cellular device down and gave a cackle, "Here we go."

Nikki backed off a little at first while the video buffered, "….I don't feel right doing this. I mean… this is Mike… _Mike Winters_. You've been with him Audrey…. Why on Earth would you want to see him bump uglies with another girl?"

"Because," she began, her crimson eyes narrowed with an almost zealous amount of burning curiosity, "….Might as well see if he treats other girls like he did me – and don't make out you didn't fuck him when you spent time together… _he dicks everyone_."

Something about that response felt very bitter – a shadow of her playful laughs just seconds earlier. Nikki shook her head, shoulders tensed in defence.

"But we didn't-"

"Yeah right, like I believe you." Yet she was cut off by the diva before she even had a chance.

An image flickered to life on the small confines of the screen – two bare figures in their natural glory, illuminated by the light of a night vision camera. Anne-Marie doubled back on reflex the second she saw shoulder length peroxide hair, toned muscles and bright green eyes.

Mike – bare and laboured in his breathing, was most assuredly _at work_ with a curvy lady of a fair skinned, freckled complexion. She writhed and cried out blissfully under every movement, her rounded behind wiggling in perfect harmony with each well-timed maneuverer of the exercise. There was no doubt that the vocalist was in complete command of the situation as she sighed and groaned in mind-melting bliss.

"Well I'll be dammed," Audrey boomed with dry laughter from her chapped lips, "He sure as hell ain't no submissive with this one, that's for sure. C'mon, Nikk! Stop hiding away… you're being so lame."

Morbid curiosity took hold from behind the protective weave of fingers across her face – Nikki peaked out, tiptoeing closer. Everything was on show in full glory – she gasped hard, trying to choke it back, but it didn't work as a cough wretched from the bottom of her tight lungs.

A tangled, sighing union of two people lay wrapped together atop a washed out motel bed. Slick flesh met with hungry, clawing fingernails, as the flames of passion snapped and sparked aloud. Nikki wanted to look away – for the love of all things she held dear. She wanted to pretend this wasn't happening, but she couldn't.

Her heartbeat rose to a furious chorus of borderline painful thumps – her cheeks reddening to searing intensity. A queasy combination of turbulent emotion bubbled away in the pit of her stomach. Part of her was devastated – shaken to the core by realization.

The charming, gentle, misunderstood vocalist she'd seen in such a gentle light, was just as intense and powerful as something she'd played in one of her more lewd and kinky dating sims. A hand rested upon her heart as two shaky blue eyes drank up the scene – and yet the other side of her flushed hard.

' _I feel so gross… why is part of me getting turned on watching this?'_

She couldn't take it anymore. "Click it off and give me back my phone."

"Not gonna happen," Audrey protested with a bratty whine, "It's just getting good! Have you seen this girl? Typical Mike bait… curvy, huge tits… and look at the size of her fat ass!"

"Audrey," the gamer girl snapped, snatching back her phone and dismissing the video with a jab of the finger.

"Hey I was watching tha-"

Nikki stiffened in defiance and anchored in tight – eyes so powerful that they managed to bring even the redhead down for a change, "How would you like it if some guy stuck a video of you on the internet? I know I'd feel real dirty."

"Now you're being stupid! Would you listen to yourself? Just check the page – he uploaded it from his own account. You don't get any guiltier than that."

Something about this entire thing still didn't piece together very well. A hunch screamed in the back of Nikki's mind as her frilly friend stood shouting against the moral high ground. The look in her eyes – the venom in her words, and more importantly, the nasty little smile across her lips.

The fusion of all three things brought the blue-haired girl to a very dark place. She silently stood back and wondered, having long since tuned out Audrey's voice.

' _I know Mike… at least… I think I know him. I mean, yeah, he turned his back on me… but something in my gut tells me he's not capable of doing something like this. But what can I do? If I reach out to help him again… then he might end up hurting me a second time. Maybe I should keep letting Lady Sapphire do the talking….'_

Nikki backed up with a sigh – arms folded as she squeezed her sweater for warmth. Her gaze fell upon Audrey – a deep inquisitiveness overtaking her thoughts. She scanned every inch of her – it was a search for the much needed biography page that came with every encounter in her games.

' _Anybody else and I would've dropped this… but there's something in Audrey's eyes that scares me. They're so hateful… so driven… and I'm starting to wonder if she-'_

A shake of her head pulled her away from such a line of thought.

' _No… now I'm yanking ideas out of thin air. Of course she isn't involved. You need to ease off the conspiracy theories, Ann-Marie.'_

A subconscious spark brought Nikki back into action. No, she couldn't abandon the feeling swimming around inside. "Give me a sec, okay Audrey? I have to use the bathroom."

"Whatever… need to hit my last class in a few, so I'll catch ya later or something? Tell Tiff I'll see her at the club this weekend."

"Sure, I can do that."

As she walked away, Nikki felt her heart pull tight in her chest – her rebellious feelings on the verge of flooding the concrete in a tidal wave. With Audrey out of sight, she was safe to pull out her Huniebee – with a deft flick of the finger bringing up Mike's profile.

"I haven't taken the time to read it in full before… but there's a first time for everything I suppose."

After all – she needed to piece things together as to appease her wayward heart. Despite her judgement telling her to walk away, something – a happy memory or perhaps a weak glitter of hope inside, kept her clinging on. It was the same as her quiet _attraction_ to the video footage she'd just seen – as much as she hated it, feared it, even, she also liked it.

_Name – Mike Andrew Winters_

_Date of Birth – February 18_ _th_ _1993_

_Age – 22_

_Strongest Trait – Talent_

Nikki shooked her head and scrolled down – she'd seen all of this before. What she needed was something much more detailed. This phone was almost scary - not only could it keep tabs on people, but it even kept a detailed record of a person's past after a certain number of hearts was reached. In this case it was three - Mike's reading had been on three hearts for a very long time.

"I promised myself when Miss Kyu gave me this phone that I wouldn't use it to pry into his personal life – but given everything that's happened, as guilty as it makes me feel… _I need to know everything_."

"Here it is," Nikki breathed deep, running a nervous hand through her hair before honing in on the screen. "What makes you tick, Mike? Did I make the right choice trusting you before?"

' _Mike Andrew Winters – is the son of classical music (and nationally known) darling, Angela Scarlett Winters, who fought against the adversity of fragile health to follow her dream of performing for the masses, before tragically passing of Cardiomyopathy in early 1993. Our sources believe that Mike initially started by following in her footsteps to gain a better insight into the lone parent he'd never met – but from his early teenage years onward he moved on to pursue an independent direction, taking up singing and intensive vocal training.'_

' _Throughout his life, Winters was renowned for a shy persona, his untapped potential easily outweighed by his lack of self-confidence and ability to make important life decisions. After graduating from Greenville Community College, he moved to Glenberry, where he forged a connection with Kyanna Delrio. This occurred around the same time Kyu Sugardust was sent to the human world to aid in his personal development.'_

' _Kyu's methods have shown mixed results – as said involvement has since caused great changes in personality for the musician. His amazingly high (but at the time dormant) Talent and Charm abilities surged in force - causing him to become smooth and dangerously alluring - though not without at least some remorse for his actions. This was shown when he chose to wilfully turn away from another potential candidate – Miss Nikki Anne-Marie, in order to avoid causing her harm through his conflicted emotional state. At current Mike Winters is under emergency intervention circumstances – and appears trapped in an indulgent and self-destructive cycle.'_

Nikki kept on reading – her curious grey matter drinking up everything. His hopes, dreams, aspirations.

Fear and the dim glow of her friendship with the fallen musician acted as guiding lights – bringing her closer to the conclusion she'd been looking for.

"I know what I'm going to do…."

Memories of the past played out with film grain inside her head – their moments of sharing pizza and playing console games together – not to mention their countless meetings at the old arcade. They swam in a pleasant union – giving her a smile.

"I've been too quick to judge for a long time – force of habit. But you never made fun of me or looked down on me for my hobbies… you went along with all the things I enjoyed doing… and you gave me a chance. I'm still mad you turned me down… but what if the profile was right? Did you really do it for my sake?"

Whatever the answer might've been – she needed to know.

Sweeping aside Mike's Huniebee page, the blue-eyed recluse pulled up the 'messaging' function. "Time to go to work – I need you, Sapphire."

Nikki sank into the mist with a quiet smile – and from the ashes came the confidence of a hero personified – a woman she'd always quietly wanted to be. The swordswoman of her electronic fantasies was never afraid. Her blade had cut down whole armies - what problem could one man cause?

"…Never thought I'd have the power to help people – especially in real life."

Sapphire breathed hard – her whole body coursed with a torrent of mighty adrenaline – a shiny blue sparkle glittering from her body in the afternoon sun, "Time to do this..."

* * *

Mike Andrew Winters let out a cold sigh and stared dead ahead in the misty rainfall. Days on the road – busses, cabs and hitchhiking – but now, it was almost the last stretch. He was reviled – disgusted, his adoring fans had turned tail and blasted hard with everything they had. Now, through blurry green eyes, he squinted under the burn of incoming lights

A greyhound bus – heavy feet on the path back from nowhere. Running a hand through his soaked blond hair, the singer tossed his damp black sports bag over the shoulder and climbed aboard.

"Glenberry," he coughed hard, looking to the gravelly face of the driver, "I need to go back home."

The word _home_ lodged in his throat – it sure didn't feel like the home he'd made for himself anymore. Was there much point in going back if the people who'd idolized him just days prior, now looked upon him with such hate?

"You okay there, kid?" The older man leaned in – his gruff, greyed features dropping into a rigid ensemble, "Looks like you've been on the road for a while."

"Falcon City," Mike uttered under his breath – brain jolting with the events of his past few days, "Went all the way to Falcon City just to see a friend of mine play – was her last show before wrapping up. Ever heard of Nora's Renegades?"

"Na… can't say I have. Oh, and not to rush ya here, but... this bus has got places to be, and Glenberry's a four hour drive – so, you in?"

"Yeah," Winters threw a bill toward the driver, "Twenty, keep the change."

"Hey, thanks. Don't mind if I do there."

Time to get out of here – Mike went straight to the back, lodging himself in the corner seat of the almost empty vehicle. Tossing down his bag, he slouched against the grimy cushions and closed his eyes, "Looks like I'll be back in just a f-"

Vibration from his right pocket – the musician brought a hand down to investigate. Strange – who was calling right now?

A glance at the screen brought with it a nervous pang – his stomach danced, "Unknown number – no caller identification. What's been the deal with all of this anonymous stuff recently?"

It was pointless to avoid it any longer. He brought his finger down to jab the screen – bringing the phone to his ear with a quiet breath. "….Who is it? I've been getting a lot weird messages lately and I don't appreciate i-"

"Hey there," Strange – the voice sounded female – but it was wrapped in a distorted shroud, almost as if it'd been altered or changed, "….My name is…. Sapphire. I hear you've been having a hard time recently."

"Sapphire," Mike's inside twisted under the stress – this 'Sapphire' person had been something of an enigma over the passing weeks. Her messages had acted as warnings, one going so far as to prompt Markus into helping him during a time of serious need. Whatever the case here – he needed to pick his response carefully.

"….I'd like to know why you've been sending me texts – and how you got into contact with one of my friends."

"I have my ways," there came a soft chuckle over the line, "And the reason I've been helping is… well because," the mysterious voice let out a tense gasp for air, "…I know somebody… a girl… and she really cares about you. I'm here to help you out, Mike Winters."

"Fuck," Mike shuddered quietly – resting his back against the window as the bus started moving, "….You do know my name. Just so you're aware… this feels like some stalker level crap."

"Don't be so quick to judge," Sapphire went quiet for a moment – and the blond was sure that for the faintest second he could hear typing on a keyboard. "I'll stop hiding behind the mask after tonight… and I'll meet you in person. Come to the Corkscrew Carnival at midnight tomorrow – bring your phone with you – the Huniebee."

Oh dear God – this girl really did know everything – Mike sucked in sharp air, his heartbeat picking up to a mile a minute. Nervousness wasn't the key issue anymore – he was afraid, "….How do you know about my phone? No more of this mysterious ghost garbage... out with it… now!"

His tone – ragged and tense, carried enough volume to draw the attention of other passengers. Shrinking into the corner like a wilted flower, his face hidden, he continued with shaky hands, "….I've had enough stress…. I've had enough bullshit…. _Please_ ," he begged, "For once I'd like something to make sense…."

He'd been exposed to a world of magic, fairies and some downright unusual shit since the turn of the new year. Hell, at this point he wouldn't have been surprised if aliens existed. "….I know I've done wrong… and I'm aware I've hurt people… but for the love of God," rasped the singer with a shaken, defeated tone.

"….If you're the one behind all this then I'm sorry…. I didn't mean to hurt anyone… but I'm too deep and stupid – so in the end I tried to take the easy way out and turn off my feelings like I didn't give a damn… but it's always in the back of my mind…."

"….Tomorrow at the carnival… and everything will be clear to you." Sapphire paused – the seconds slipping onward so slowly that, their transition resembled an eternity, "….You're innocent… don't worry… I know you better than you think…."

The line fell silent – Mikey wiped the frustrated tears from his eyes and looked to the streetlights as they whizzed past the window, "….I need to get home to Lillian… she'll be pissed I left her alone like I did for so long."

* * *

"Oh, so now you decide to come back? Where have you been? I've had to eat cocktail wieners from the freezer for two days!"

Lillian stomped forward – eyes set to kill – grabbing Mike by the shoulders and staring him down without a shred of remorse, "….Look at you, cuz! You're drenched and you reek of old cologne and vodka! Dad called… and he wanted to talk, but you weren't here and-"

Static overtook everything – his younger cousin's mouth moved but the sound didn't come out – Mike gazed through her almost as if she wasn't there.

' _Just let me go, Lillian. I want to shower and get some sleep – I've been awake on booze and adrenaline for almost two days straight.'_

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" A violent shake of the shoulders brought Mike swirling back to reality – his centre of gravity tossed up in a vortex and left to flail, "….I said dad was worried about you, dumbass – and you didn't have your phone turned on when he tried to call. Sure, the old man's a major pain in my ass, but motherfuck…"

"I'm heading for a shower," yet Mike found his attempt to retreat blocked as Lillian grabbed his wrist tight, yanking him backward like a ragdoll. Damn did she have a surprising amount of strength – that hurt!

"Like hell you are," the mall brat protested with an angry frown, "….You usually walk through the door looking all smug and cheery with yourself… now look at you. It's like some hobo beat you up and stuck on your clothes! I don't like it… this is _soooo_ not the Mikey I wanna see…."

"Oh," Mike snatched his hand away, "….Well what side of me do you wanna see, hmm? Because right now everything's coming down around me… and you want to know how I _really_ feel? I don't feel happy, and I sure as almighty FUCK don't think I'm in control anymore."

"So totally _not_ true," Miss Winters barked back – hands on hips as her blue eyes met with Mike's green, "….All you have to do is snap your fingers and you get whatever you want. Like, always, all the time… I saw you at the club! Second you walk in girls throw their dumb asses at you!"

It was hard to comprehend this – to understand why she flicked back and forth so chaotically between one extreme to the other. At one moment, she'd be glued to him – loving every second of his company, and the moment he showed something she didn't like, it would be back to square one again – with the cursing and the criticism of his life choices.

One thing in Mike's mind stood clear above all else:

' _Right now... the last thing I need is her backsass and bullshit over my decisions.'_

"YEAH! AND WHERE DID THAT GET ME? NOWHERE FUCKING GOOD! THAT'S FOR DAMN SURE!"

An empty silence descended upon the room – Lillian blinked in stunned awe – most undoubtedly at the sheer volume of his outburst. She doubled back, one-step at a time, looking away with an indignant pout, "…No need to yell at me like that…. _Oh my god_ … Like, asshole alert."

This had gone on long enough – Mike tossed his soggy bag to the floor and brushed past with a solemn expression across his usually cocky face, "….I'm the last person you wanna get too wrapped up in. You'll end up disappointed, or in a raging mess – one or the other, Lili."

"You're totally wrong about me," she turned back – a hand reaching out to grab his shoulder, "….Shows how much you know after all these years." Her grip tightened, black-polished nails scratching against the skin lightly, "But what-ever… if you wanna be an asshole like mom and dad then that's fine…. I ain't givin' up just yet…."

"Save yourself the trouble," it was time to speak from experience, "….Go back home to Uncle James and Aunt Marie. They're concerned about you – and I'm not the kind of influence you need."

"Like it's your job to decide what's good for me," Lili scoffed hard and tried to yank Mike backward again, "….I'd rather be here… beats sitting back home in _boooring_ Greenville drinking coffee."

"You're stubborn." Mike snapped. He stood fast, refusing to let himself budge, "….I'm trying to help you… and you won't let me."

"Ohhhh no – not taking shit like this from _you, Cousin._ I'm stubborn? Fun fact… there's a mirror in your room. Why not stand in front of it and take a look at yourself?"

"Fuck off." Mike slapped her hand away – taking a beeline to his bedroom.

_WHACK!_

He slammed the door shut behind with a frustrated snarl – moving to sit on the edge of the bed. The first thing be brought to light was of course - the Huniebee. His mind jumped back to the earlier conversation on the bus.

"Sapphire…. she might be my last chance."

Flicking across his saved links to the band's website – he felt a gloomy haze descend. A poll sat in the comments section on the main page. Of course, the fans were still out for blood – or at least a fraction of them.

' _Should Third Betrayal Disband?'_

_Yes – 109 Votes_

_Unsure – 67 Votes_

_No – 35 Votes_

End of the line – Mike couldn't take another second of this. Slumping against the sheets – he let the phone drop from his hand, nudging it across the bed.

"Tomorrow night at the Corkscrew Carnival. It's insane… trusting a voice over the phone… but what choice do I have?"

**To be continued….**


	6. Mysterious Fox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT - I've been thinking about this story for a while now. It didn't feel as good as it could be, so I took it upon myself to change a few things and make some improvements. Before you begin, take a look at the list of updates.
> 
> 1 - The entire story has received lots of extra tweaks, additional polish, and further in-depth proof reading from start to finish.
> 
> 2 - I noticed over time that the story covers things from many different perspectives. I'm changing that. As of this chapter the perspectives will be locked to just a couple of characters (occasionally switching to others for plot purposes) which should make things easier for everyone.
> 
> 3 - There's a new Hunie arriving soon. I did this mainly for plot reasons but it fulfils a request I received, too. She should add a dash of spice to the overall story - not to mention some extra characterization.
> 
> 4 - Updates to the overall continuity of 'Envy'. Now story elements should fit tighter with the newer Huniepop stories I've written.
> 
> Okay - that's all for updates. Let's begin!

** Mysterious Fox **

The morning after a long weekend of chaos – and Mikey sure as hell didn't feel any better for it. His options remained limited – down and out against the luck of the draw. It hadn't taken long for his cousin to snatch the cell from his hand, scroll down his pages, and find out what was going on.

Alas, his secret shattered like fragile glass, and the only thing that spun around in his thoughts was the disgusted face the mall brat pulled as she watched his 'shame'. A gag, a gasp, a cringe – she seemed far from impressed.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" Lillian slid the phone across the table – scowl switched to 'kill' setting. Up she stood, thundering over to grab Mike, freshly showered and a fraction more presentable, by the shoulders.

"Didn't think you'd believe me," He pulled her hands away, shaking his head with a defeated sigh. Now he needed to explain his 'dirty' news too. Great. "It's so farfetched that it doesn't exactly sound believable, now does it?"

"What-ever. Think I'm an idiot or something?" Lillian's nails dug sharp into the skin of his biceps. The discomforting sting brought his senses, half-drunk and sleepy, back to life. "I've known you my whole life. You're not exactly the kinda guy to put something like this online."

"Not that it makes much difference now." The bottle of golden liquor across the table looked awfully tempting amidst all this ill fortune. It didn't take long to snap it up and pour a shot glass to the brim. "Nobody in their right mind's going to listen! I have guilt painted all over me and there's nothing I can do! Going to the carnival tonight's about my only option."

A blur of speed – the younger Winters plucked the booze away from her elder relation, downing it with a refreshed chuckle before tossing the empty glass into his hands. She wen't beyond that, too, snatching the bottle and taking it to the kitchen counter – placing it out of reach. "No more drinking for you," she declared.

"We're like… totes gonna find out who did this and set 'em straight! Seeing you like this, all beat down? Super serial… it's so not you, cuz."

Such words of encouragement did little to raise his spirits. A storm cloud had set in, threats loomed on all sides. In truth, it felt as though there wasn't a damn thing that could be done about it. Mike shook his head at her words, swinging out his legs from the chair. He brushed past Lillian to find the couch, falling headlong into the cool embrace of leather.

There he slumped, reaching for the remote and hopelessly flicking through channels. "Forget it. Unless you have psychic powers, I don't think there's a way out of this one. I'll stick with the only lead I have, thanks."

"Oh-my-god," Lillian snarled with vicious abandon, stomping her bare feet against the hardwood, "You're such a fucking pessimist. Like, gag me with a spoon… mom and dad said I was bad… but you're willing to trust some voice over the phone?"

"Innocent until proven guilty, my buddy Mark said to me," Mike turned to bat two disinterested eyes the way of the gothic diva. "How am I supposed to prove it with everything st-"

"That's it… I'm done!" Lili slid over to the kitchen counter yet again, scooped up her keys, and thumped on two angry feet like a five foot three giant toward her shiny suitcase by the door. "Can't listen to you mope like a fucking deadbeat. Tell you what, Mike. You sit here and feel like all sorry for yourself. I'm gonna go find us some _real_ help."

"How do you intend to do that?" He asked as Lillian reached for a pair of short socks with skulls, and slid them over her pale, bony feet. "You don't know anyone 'round town for starters. What good will wandering aimlessly bring?"

Shoes on and ready to roll, the goth chick slid the keys in the back pocket of her skinny jeans, flipping an angry hand through her pigtailed locks as she went for the door. Touching the handle, she spun back on her heels one last time, eying her pitiful blond cousin with abstract fury.

"Stupid. Did I say anything about getting help from the loooosers in Glenberry? Fat load'a help that'll be, 'specially since you've been cramming your dick where it ain't exactly welcome. Just leave it to me, okay? _I'm gonna save your sorry ass for once."_

Miss Winters yanked the door open – thundering into the hallway:

"Lili," However, Mike's voice was enough to stop her. He watched her shoulders tense as his lone word reached her.

"What?" She spat, eyes narrow and deadly, sharpened as though they were daggers. "The longer you hold me up the longer it'll take for me to do this. Unless… you're actually planning to get off that g-ross leather couch and come with me?"

A feeling, something from the past, ignited like a bonfire in the core of Mike's soul. His thoughts dove deep into the oceans of his upbringing, and there he saw it, the vauge but warm memories he had of Lillian when they were younger. She'd always had that look when she was serious – back before the days of bleaching her skin bone-white and cramming into leather pants far too tight.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "Say… who do you have in mind? Like I said, you won't find many people willing to help me outside of my band."

An expression of pure confidence, one Mike hadn't seen from his younger relation in so long, overtook her features. Flicking back her pigtails, she smirked, suave and calculated, clasping her hands together in a tight knot.

"About the only damn person that'll, like… make you get off your ass. Well, that's if you haven't burned all your bridges since you came here. Because gawwwwd… looks like you've been doing a real good job of that since you moved out here. Later, looooser."

***SLAM***

The entire room shuddered as Lillian sent the door crashing shut. She was gone – leaving Mike in deep thought over her words. Something about the assurance in her expression, something of a rarity when it came to Lillian, startled and made him feel uneasy in equal measure. It nagged at his core, in a manner he couldn't quite place. Whom in the world was she talking about?

Mike felt his brain spark from its alcohol induced coma, crawling through the crypt to process the colors and feelings into coherent thoughts. Hopping up from the couch, he made a sharp departure for his room, quickly deciding to change into some suitable outdoor clothes as he mulled it over.

Pulling open his draws, he nodded contentedly at his choice of dress. A casual blue shirt and some simple black pants would do. That way, when he did decide to go out, he'd be covered. Changing the outfit he wore brought with it the time for some real pondering, music thumping in the background as he flicked on the stereo by the glowing red 'power' button.

' _The things you said don't make much sense, Lili. Who are you talking about? Apparently, they're the only person that's going to make me 'get off my ass' and do something. I can't really think of anybody matching that description. Markus seemed reluctant to help me at best…. Kyanna's out. One look at that video and she'll hack off my nuts – not that Lillian knows either of them anyway.'_

"Oh for fuck sakes," he slumped against his bed sheets, running a puzzled hand through his messy peroxide hair. It did little to help move his thoughts along. "Who could you be talking about, Lillian?"

* * *

The Corkscrew Carnival – midnight. Lights flashed, people screamed, college students lined up for rides – and people seemed to be having a fantastic time considering it was so late. So the rumours were true after all. This place was open all night long when the carnival folk came to town.

A whistle of awe was the only fitting response for such impressive array of rides and amusements. Mike squeezed his way past a gaggle of teenage girls snapping selfies, taking a moment to rest his weary feet on a bench at the side of all the festivities. Boy did he need a break, especially after walking all the way here.

As the crowds funnelled left and right under the nauseating drawl of carnival music, the blonde decided to get a better look at his surroundings. This 'Lady Sapphire' said she'd be here by now – but in truth Mikey didn't even know who or 'what' to look for. There wasn't exactly a good method in place for picking out strange enigmatic individuals who communicated over the phone.

All the while, girls screamed as they were flung down the rapids, pellet guns 'popped' as smug-looking jocks blasted at cans to win stuffed animals for their cheerleader babes, and the carnival people shouted over the sound to draw in more people. Seconds burned away, minutes dissolved, and Mike found himself growing frustrated as he sat alone, twiddling his fingers.

Face souring into a tense frown, the musician slipped a hand into his pocket, bringing out the Huniebee and giving the middle button a sharp 'stab' with his forefinger. A bright pink flash brought it to life, and he continued onward, thumbing through his messages.

"I'm beginning to wonder if this is just some prank. A joker trying to piss me off, perhaps? Maybe they're even working with the person who did all of this. Never thought I'd say it outright, but Lillian might've been onto something when she warned me. Perhaps putting my faith in something like this was st-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A muffled voice came in from the right. Mike, confused, flinched and brought up his guard – turning in rigid dismay to glare in the direction of the sound.

Eyes – wide and confused, took in a sight most peculiar. Before him, there stood an individual of short stature, decked out in a long black coat, wearing grubby white sneakers and shorts underneath. Their features remained obscured by the sight of a pristine ornamental mask of fox-like design, painted in dark orange. From the sides of the facial piece there spilled wisps of bluish hair, and between two hands, the stranger clutched a phone matching the Huniebee.

_'So that's how they knew about my fairy phone? They have one of their own...'_

"Sapphire?" Mike shuffled back on the bench, his offhand clenched nervously around the edges of his magical cellular device. "You're the person I'm looking for, right?"

A nod of confirmation, "Yes. Let's get this over with. I have a proposition for you… and it doesn't sound like things are going your way, right now at least."

There was something about this mysterious 'Sapphire' person. Their voice though quieted behind the fox, sounded feminine, and vaguely familiar at that. Whoever this person was – it was very likely a 'her' and not somebody of the male persuasion. Winters drew that much of a conclusion with ease.

"Well you aren't exactly wrong about it," Mikey nodded – placing the Huniebee in his lap, squeezing his hands together out of nervousness. A surreal feeling came with meeting somebody like this – almost as though; it was a scene from a movie. "You said on the phone you could help? How? Considering there's not much in the way of options for me… I don't see what you cou-"

"I have a hunch," Sapphire began, whipping Mike's Huniebee away with swift reflexes, pairing it with her own phone, "Interesting," she continued, obviously side-tracked by the technology sat within her palms, "So they do work the same… as I expected. Only difference is they have some slight variations to the operat-"

Mike snapped his fingers, breathing a tired sigh as the girl sat at his side finally returned to the same plane of reality, "Please get to the point," he insisted with a shaky breath, "I'm tired… very tired. The last few days have taken it out of me… and I didn't think I'd spend tonight chasing a mystery caller."

"S-sorry," Sapphire jittered, passing back Mike's precious fairy phone with a shake of the head. "Anyway, as I was saying. I have a hunch that somebody set you up…. I can't be a hundred percent sure just yet… but I'm doing some digging. All I need from you is permission. I already linked our phones together just now. There's one more step I have to take."

"That explains how you got hold of my number anyway... Must be another love fairy in town." Mike's brow furrowed. The tone of Sapphire's voice seemed a little suspicious to say the least. "

"Permission for what?" he asked cautiously. "What do you need from me to chase stuff up?"

The girl pressed her index fingers together, laughing nervously as she paused in what must've been thought. "I need," she continued with another elongated pause, "To access your website. Specifically… I want backdoor access. It's… not exactly hacking if I have your permission first… and that makes what I need to do legal."

"You're aski-" Mike growled, hands balled into uneasy fists as he stood from the bench, "You're asking if you can hack my website? What kind of backwards fucking request is that?"

"Let me explain," Sapphire fire back quickly, holding up her hands in surrender. A few punches of her own Huniebee screen and she brought up a web page. It was filled with long paragraphs – at a glance the majority of it was computer techno-babble.

Scrolling down to one specific segment, Saphire held out her hand, finger outstretched and resting upon a specific section. "Every device that accesses a website leaves behind something called a 'data packet'. I'll put it simply for you. These packets contain random pieces of information about the device and other things… including their I.P address. You following me?"

Mike's head tilted to the side like a lost puppy. He couldn't feel angry, not when the confusion threatened to overwhelm him so thoroughly. The best response he could give was a defeated shake of the head. "I don't speak computer outside sound software and a little online banking… that's as far as I go."

The girl behind the mask gave what sounded like a disappointed sigh, flicking aside a strand of blue hair as she leaned a little closer. Interesting, through the dark holes in the mask, aided by a brief flash of fairground light, Winters was almost certain he saw blue eyes.

"I'll be extra basic for you then I guess… but honestly… I thought you'd be a little smarter than this. Okay, so if you have the right knowhow, you can reassemble the random data packets and use them to piece together things such as a brief history of where the device has been, and it's address. In short-"

It finally made sense now! Mikey snapped his fingers, victorious in his deduction, "….If you put these data packets back together you'd be able to get a snapshot of what the person was doing, and draw up a profile for the suspect…. Damn… that's some detective level work."

"Precisely. Not to mention with this Huniebee I can do almost anything The amount of functions this phone has... it's soooo cool," the girl nodded - her body language much more enthusiastic than before, "See? I knew you'd catch on. It might not be much, but it's a start. I'm afraid I'll have to ask one small thing in return for my services, however."

There was a price to pay – of course. Nothing came for free in this self-centered little world. A sudden wave of apprehensiveness overtook the peroxide-blond singer as he set himself down on the bench again.

"What do you want from me? I don't think I'd have anything you find valuable."

Much to his dismay, the girl opened her arms wide – eyes of blue glowing through the pinpricks of her little fox. It was more than that – a faint aura of the same shade swam across her body in an almost sensual, alluring manner. She let out a whimper, hard, strained - he dared to think passionate in its longing.

"I want a hug," Sapphire uttered softly, her small body trembling with unease as the seconds slipped by. "One cuddle and you'll have my help from here on out…. I-I'm clean and showered… you have my word!"

A an unusual request, but a heartfelt one – there was no doubt about that. The tone of her voice was all the proof that was needed. Sighing, defeated but far from angry over the peculiar dealmaker, the green-eyed singer inched closer, placing his arms around the girls middle in a strong, protective embrace. She could've asked for much worse.

"What do you gain from something like this, Sapphire? You're smart... I'm backed into a corner... there's so much else you could demand from me."

She squeaked - shy and mousey. "...N- nothing really. I'm not like that... I- I just... someone I know made cuddles special... that's all."

A low grunt, half-surprised, half out of unease, popped from his lips as the fox-lady latched on tight, seemingly drinking up the warmth of his closeness with reckless abandon. She snuggled against his chest, sighing contentedly. A faint scent, something of vague familiarity resonated from her.

' _I know it's a little odd… but she smells like chocolate…. Where have I – no wait! It's not a smell I'm remembering. It's a taste. Who are you underneath that mask? Why won't you show your face?'  
_

Before Mike could finish his deductions the mysterious informant broke free – her grubby sneakers crunching through the gravel underfoot as she backed away. Nodding to herself, apparently contented, she slid her Huniebee into the confines of her shorts pocket – turning away.

"I'll be in touch, Mike. Until then, no more stupid shit. I gave you more credit than that." A quick wave – and no sooner had Sapphire already evaporated into the hustle and bustle of the passing people.

This whole thing was crazy enough to leave a man wide-eyed. The entirety of the strange meetings events played back in his head like a rewound VHS tape. A petite woman, her shyness, the blue aura around her body, the cheesy video-game nickname and the mask, something about all of it seemed more than a coincidence.

Mike pondered popping the buttons on his shirt to allow the cool air to bathe his glowing skin. The walk to his next destination, wherever that was, would no doubt be a long one. "Sapphire," he repeated the name aloud, squeezing past a cheerleader carrying an oversized stuffed toy. "Damn… This is too much. I could use a shot or two…."

Whatever the plan - he needed to call Lillian first, let her know what was going on. Punching in her digits brought little success - only voicemail. By now, the patience department was running dangerously thin. A sigh gave way to one final try.

_'Yeaaaaaah? You've like, reached Lili. Can't take your call right now because, what-ever. I can't be bothered. Leave a message and if it's worth my time I'll get back to you or something. Ciao. Laters!'_

"That's the most nauseating thing I've ever heard..."

The voicemail beep signalled loudly, drawing the next snap decision of the evening. Stress levels were rising, and if something wasn't done soon then a meltdown of extreme proportions was on the cards.

With that in mind, Mikey relented, finally surrendering to the god-awful voicemail message. "Lillian, it's me. I'm guessing you're not home yet. If you're out then don't do anything too insane. I'm hitting the Bar and Lounge across from the Carnival. Your dad knows the manager so I should be good in there for a while. I'll see you later. With any luck I can start getting to the bottom of all this soon. Be safe..."

A press of the 'End Call' Icon brought things to a close.

"Okay... I'm out of here. Here's hoping tonight wasn't for nothing."

One question remained clear as ever - awash with stage lights at the front of his troubled mind:

_'Can I really trust you, Sapphire? I can't afford you making things any worse...'  
_

** To be continued…. **


	7. Badass Babe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all of you who might feel confused - I decided to split the most recent chapter into two halves. On it's own it came to over eight-thousand words, and I know that can be quite daunting to some people. So, now you have two four-thousand word chapters to read at your own leisure instead. I hope you enjoy this next part. I'm sure the Huniecam fans will.
> 
> The inspiration for this segment came from two songs - the unreleased B-Side track of Lusties Nightclub, and 'To be Loved' by Papa Roach. Look them up if you're interested. Heck, I dare say one of them fits well here. Okay, that's everything. Let's get started.

There was nowhere better in town to cool the heels than the Bar and Lounge. No matter how bad the hand of cards life dealt. Come rain or shine they kept the doors open late every weekend – and even held a quiet 'after hours' agreement for the regulars – at the cost of a small additional fee of course.

Sure, drinking sure didn't fix anything, but damn did it feel good sometimes. Swishing the golden liquid in his glass, Mike let out a contented sigh – bobbing his head to the background beat. "Damn I've needed to calm myself down all night."

_'This is all too much. Framed for shit I didn't do... my own fans turning on me. I can't figure out why somebody wants to nail me against the wall like this. Not to mention I have a girl behind a a mask who claims she hack computers... dammit. You know, if this is reality I'm happier drinking.'_

A loud 'beep' from his pocket broke the beautiful ambiance, signalling to set down the booze and check the time. His surprise brought a sharp pang of unease along with it.

"The middle of the night. Wow... been in here for hours... No call from Lillian, either. I hope she's home safe. The old man would kick me into next week if anything happened to her on my watch."

Another day with too much on the brain. Another night of sitting in washed out bars until three in the morning swilling down watery liquor. Not to mention the mysterious 'Sapphire' somebody else with a Huniebee in her possession. Rewind a couple of months and Mike would've been surprised. Now? Disbelief was indefinitely suspended.

"I can handle another." He slipped a silvery credit card across the bar – eyes locked against the rows of bottles. "Not like it's going to hurt."

A shake of the head and a shameful sigh. Those actions enough gave a picturesque impression of the greyed middle-aged bartender's feelings toward the amount of alcohol he was putting away. "You sure about that? You look like you've had plenty already. Why not call it a night?"

"Nope," An outright refusal. "One more and I'll be on my way. You have no idea what I've been dealing with this last week."

"You're as Stubborn you're uncle, Mike," the server fired back, walking over to the spirit shelf with a roll of the eyes. "It must run in the family. Fine... you're getting one more and I'm shutting up shop… but only because you come in here so often, you hear?"

"Yes, I'm listening."

Another glass, half full, slid over to greet the deflated musician. Taking back his card, he reached for the serving of malt, taking the hit and slamming the shot container down with a shallow grunt of exertion. "That hit the spot."

"Well," Thanking the bartender with a nod, Winters grabbed for his jacket and made for the door. "I'm out… Later Jerry."

"Careful on your way home, kid. There's been trouble out there lately."

News that was of little interest to the emerald-eyed singer. He'd had more than his fair share of problems already. "Don't worry about me. Things couldn't get any worse."

* * *

A a bite of coldness in the early morning air nipped against the skin. Rubbing two shaky hands together and breathing into them did little to stop it, either. Maybe it was his imagination, but Mike was sure there was an uncharacteristic coldness to the time of year. After all, it was only mid-Autumn.

"Must be my mind playing tricks on me." Resigning his thoughts, he rounded the corner and made in the direction of his apartment. Past the beach, ignoring the early morning bonfire and busking students playing around with string instruments.

A jolt of lightening raced hard and fast – giving warning to bring everything into perspective. He hadn't heard it before, or maybe he'd chosen not to, but a presence hung in the air. Footsteps followed from behind, echoing in the stillness of the city streets.

"I'm not alone here." No time to waste – Mike spun around, shiny shoes scraping against the concrete as he went. Green eyes pulsed in haze of aqua, and from the murky corner of his vision, there stood a stranger with folded arms.

Closer inspection brought with it an ounce of clarity. A tall, muscular gentleman, gruff features and a stony expression. He wore a tight-fitting football jersey and flashy jeans. Flexing his muscles, he took hefty steps forward, hand outstretched. "Easy way or the hard way. You're going to help me out. It's my girl's birthday tomorrow and I ain't bought her shit. Hand over the wallet, you'll get me laid and I won't need to kick your face in."

This was a nightmare – the bad luck stood at factor ten. There wasn't just a rainstorm washing out Mike's life right now – it was a raging tsunami.

_'Me and my big fucking mouth. Of course it can get worse, it always get- No, this guy can go to hell. I've lost enough for no good reason... If he thinks he's going to walk all over me he's got another thing coming.'  
_

"Not a chance." He shook his head - bringing up a pair of fists as his response. "Want it then you'll have to take it. "

"That can be arranged." The football player – no doubt a jock from the local college team, cracked his knuckles and thumped closer like a giant. Over six feet tall and clearly over two-hundred pounds, this spelled a serious fight.

Deep breathing to calm the nerves – in and out. Falling into stance, feet held outward, a smooth smile, it was time to engage. "I can do this. After all… I've held my own against worse before..."

Dodging and swerving around the first couple of fists was easy. This person, whoever he was, didn't have much in the way of agility. Staying focused, Mike gave all that he could, swinging out a one-two combination and ducking low - slamming a shoulder against his foe's midsection.

"Ouch. Caught me off guard there." The jock growled in disdain – feet inching back across the ground. It was like moving a mountain. "Didn't expect you to hit this hard," he admitted, hands squeezing the struggling singer by the shoulders. "Now it's my turn."

A near-supersonic boom shook everything to the core. A flash of disfigured white followed surging discomfort. A knee, hard and jagged, stabbed over and over. Falling backward, jittery from both alcohol and the sudden shock, Winters erupted in a sputter, unguarded and unprepared as a second blitz came in with just as much brutality.

His attacker let go, shoving him against a trashcan, boot-clad feet pounding closer. Cracking his neck from side to side, he held out the same hand from before – this time with far more aggression. "Hand it over. Wallet or I'll finish the job."

Overcome with aggression - tired of his lousy luck after so much hardship, something inside finally snapped.

"Fuck... off. You are NOT taking my money."

A solid 'thump' against the side of the jaw was all the reward Mikey received the trouble - his entire world falling in on itself along with his feet, sending him reeling into a street lamp. A dull, throbbing pain wracked every inch of his body.

"Ohhhh God," he coughed hard, red leaking from his split, stinging lips, "This is heavy... don't know how much more I can take."

"Hahaha," the massive bastard came in for the kill - flicking out a knife from behind his back. "Know what? Let's make this inte-"

Music - an engine revving – roaring like a tiger as it tore apart the veil of quiet surrounding the scuffle.

_"Listen up... turn it up and rock it out. Party on, I wanna hear ya scream and shout. This is real.. as real as it gets! I came to your town to get some fuckin respect. Yeah we're takin it back, to a hardcore level! Better be ready put your pedal to the metal!"_

Headlights flashed the scene - tires howling wolf-like at the moon. Through the powerful illumination, Mike made out a red covetable, old with dents in one side. It came to a violent stop in the middle of the road; rubber marks burned into the tarmac under a wave of thrashing bass.

The driver's side door swung open and the engine cut dead. "She wasn't shittin' around after all. This is where she said you'd be."

Strength, flare, style, two blue eyes and long dark-brown hair. A girl came in on the action, pulling Mike upright from his pain-slumped posture, equally ignoring the wide-eyed shock overtaking his features as she brushed him down. He looked her over, taking in every tiny detail. Brown eyeshadow, red lipstick, a beauty mark below the left eye. The perfect hourglass figure wearing a white tank-top and jeans with some serious game.

_'Not to mention I'd recognize that tattoo anywhere. 'Hope'. You can't be here…. Why would you come all the way to Glenberry? Doesn't make a shred of sense! If this is what Lillian was talking abo- Owww... my ribs hurt...'  
_

He had to check she was real – not just some fucked up alcohol-induced illusion. Reaching out, ignoring the wails of his pained body, he held on to the girl by the shoulder. Her warmth, her foggy breaths against the cold night air. Yes, she was grounded in reality – and that only made things even more confusing.

"Hola, Mike." Such a cool smile she gave – helping him lean against the rusty shutters of a closed up storefront. "Keepin' it real?"

A blast from the past – almost a distant memory in some respects. Before Kyu, before Kyanna, before Glenberry or even the long-gone days of college. At one point in time, there was a very different Mike with much more honest hopes and dreams. His life in high school was one of solitude. Only one friend helped him persevere, kept him safe, and watched his back. Time pulled them apart, but he'd never forget that badass aura – her 'me against the world' attitude, and the warmth she gave to those she trusted.

"N- Nora? Seriously? Nora?"

"Hell yeah." A chilled out nod of approval was all she gave. "Now, excuse me for a sec. Looks like you're havin' a hard time here."

There she stood, tall, bold, oozing with confidence, going toe-to-toe with the approaching jock. Awe-struck and equally hurt, all Mike had the strength to do was observe as the scene unfolded.

"Better watch out," the Hispanic girl gave a small warning, flipping back her locks with sass, hands resting on wide hips. "You wanna mess with him you'll have to go through me first. Feelin' lucky?"

Her presence didn't seem to deter the football player or his cocky rampage, "They say you're not supposed to hit a lady, but I'm willing to bend the rules a little… need the money."

"Well alright," she chuckled – stepping up to the towering challenge. "I let you have a shot. You're fair game now, pendejo ."

A shoulder swung out in Nora's direction. All she did to dodge it was take a simple step back. "Too slow. You ain't even tryin'."

***CRUNCH!***

Mike couldn't pull himself away – watching in quiet, stunned horror as the massive wall of muscle that so easily beat his ass just moments before came tumbling forward. Nora butted him – sending his mammoth build colliding with the concrete - the weapon falling from his hand - only adding further insult to injury - ramming the toe of her slick sneaker into his side. Another kick, and another, and another.

Blindsided, dumbfounded, utterly terrified, the ape of a man rolled onto his stomach for protection, curling into a helpless little ball, "S-stop… I give…"

It didn't save him, neither did his whimpering plea for mercy. Nora yanked every ounce of him clean off the concrete, suspended by the scruff of his jersey. There, she held a balled fist, mere inches away from his blooded face.

"I warned ya. Now, listen and listen good," she smirked. "This guy you were beatin' on? Not to be screwed with. Start trouble with whoever the shit else you want. Touch my boy again and I'll make sure you regret it. We clear?"

She dropped her quarry with a thump - watching him scurry back into the corner like a rat - the color draining from his face. "I got it… I got it! I-I'm going… r-right now!

"Good. Get gone."

It was done. The badass looked back, giving a smokin' chuckle – one her peroxide companion met with a quiet, thankful curve of his cold red lips. "I owe you… but dammit this is too sudden. Why are you h-"

Nora grabbed him by the hand, held his fingers tight, bringing a thin veil of silence before his words could escape. "Vamonos. Ass in the car," she continued, still pulling him, bruised and sore, toward her quite illegally parked vehicle. "Let's go grab a bite and I'll explain."

"At three in the morning?" Mike protested as he sat painfully in the passenger seat, breathing in the scent of strong rose petal incense and cigarettes. The interior was more than a little beat up "Three in the a.m.… you arrive in town with no warning… and you want food?"

A shake of the head – a sigh of dismay. "Nora Vasquez. How come every time I see you one of us is going through total fucking hell?"

"Way of the world, boss," she slammed her door shut, turning the keys in the ignition, "Now… burgers or burgers? Could go grab some iodine for those cuts you got, too, unless you're gonna suck it up like a man."

"Forget the iodine," he didn't need it. "I want to know why you came all the way here from Eaglewood of all places."

"Na, man. Only if you tell me first."

"Not right now." Mike had no intention of spilling his innermost on such short notice. He shut her out - eying the lights of the Gold Rush Casino, only taking notice for a second as the engine roared to life, as wild a beast as its mistress.

"ALRIGHT! Buckle up, sparky," Nora cheered - cranking the sound, "We're going for a ride!"

Pedal to the metal - they gunned it down the open road, turning off with a yelp of the tires, past the glitzy clubs and bars. The dreaded 'Downtown' wasn't too far away.

Hair whipping in the wind, the Hispanic rogue took a screeching right-turn at the first set of lights, punching the gas with a cry of delight. "Yeaaaaah! Just like old times, ain't it?"

Try as he might - Mikey couldn't hold back his smile. "Too much like senior year. You couldn't drive then, either."

"Oh fuck you ese!"

* * *

"You showed up out of nowhere. Fell shit-faced into a barstool, watched my guys play for ten minutes, cried into your hands like a pussy… and you didn't even bother to say 'Hi' before walking out? You don't think I want some answers too, holmes? Why go all the way to my neck of the woods for _that?"_

"Nora," Mike breathed an exhausted sigh, "Say it straight. God knows that's your way of dealing with everything."

"Okay, fucker," she laughed with bitterness – screaming to a stop in a semi-vacant fast-food lot at the side of the road. With a turn of the keys she killed the howling metal. "I'm pissed. I'm real annoyed… but I'm just as hungry. Been behind the wheel for almost five hours. Barely stopped for a piss."

Nora folded back the softcover roof – hopping over the side door and leaving Mike in his place. "Be back in five. Don't go walkin' away anywhere."

Silence – Mike basked in it as he was left alone. Grabbing the Huniebee from his left side pants pocket, he punched one of the speed-dial options and placed the magical, glowing pink device against his ear. The dial tone spun out, seconds ticking onward as he waited in perpetual agony.

"Errrr, yeah? What is it?" Lillian's voice – she sounded as abrupt and bratty as always. "Not a fan of unknown numbers. If you're some perv then you can go screw yours-"

"Lillian," the elder Winters silenced his cousin with a single abrupt word. "You've got some explaining to do."

The mall brat burst out in shrill, snorty laughter. "The tone in your voice… it's like, soooo serious. What's up, Mikey? Don't sound like you're having a good time over th-"

No way was she going to play games like a kid. He knew damn well she had something to do with all of this. Bringing the phone closer to his ear, Mike focused like a sniper against his target. "Nora Vasquez. Nora freaking Vasquez. If this has anything to do with you, Lillian then you can pack up your shit and g-"

"Guilty," he didn't need to see her face to know she beamed like a Cheshire cat. "Don't see what the problem is, fuuuck. She's like, totally your best option for sorting this whole mess out… and like… you two have some serious catching up to do."

"That's exactly the problem," Mike's fingers squeezed around the Huniebee deathly tight. "As much as you're right you're horribly wrong. Four. Damn. Years. What possessed you to think that after barely seeing her since I graduated senior year that this was a good idea?"

"You need someone you can trust, cuz. Four years doesn't make a difference. She'd take a bullet for us both and you know it." A bubble-gum pop spattered over the line. "I'm beginning to see a habit here. Another person from your days before college that you ditched… it's almost funny."

"Oh you nasty little-" Mike snarled, damn near crushing the phone between his strangling fingers. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?" Lillian hummed with poisonous glee. "You bitch at me for never getting along with mom and dad… but you're worse than me. You sit there, smug in your fancy apartment… and you sure as shit don't wanna remember where you came from… _the family you left behind to go chase your dreams."_

"I'm gonna say one last thing," the Gothic princess erupted, hateful in her every word, "Sometimes the things we do _hurt sooooo bad. You can love someone so much… and really hate em' at the same time. But w_ hat I did? Calling Nora? That wasn't some dirty trick…. _"_

"Someone's out there to fuck you over… and if there's anybody you can depend on? It's her. Mike…. You're an asshole… but that doesn't mean nobody cares. So how about for once you say 'thank you' and we figure this out together, the three of us?"

Defeated – devoid of every ebb of strength, the musician slumped against the seat and closed his eyes. She was right, as much as he didn't want to admit it. A mental checklist ran through his thoughts.

_'I've been over this once tonight already... but I don't think there's any other way. The band? They were quick to throw me under the bus. Kyanna? I know for fact she wouldn't help if she found out about this. Plus, we have too much history. Mark… I can't ask him to go against the rest of the group like that. Nikki? I don't deserve her help. I'm alone… save for Lillian, Nora, and some mysterious girl in a mask. This is messed up beyond words….'_

"Thanks, Lillian. I'm still annoyed at you, but thanks all the same."

"Hmph," the moody teen gave an elongated groan, "What-eveeeer. I've thrown you a bone here. Don't be a dick and waste it."

The line went dead – leaving Mike to toss his phone upon the dusty dashboard. In urgent need of some peace, he gazed up at the cloudy night sky. Lights twinkled in the darkness. "It's been too long since I las-"

A paper bag rustled – entering his vision so swiftly he couldn't help but flinch. "Got you some too."

Nora swooped in, slotting her long soda cup in the holder. With a soft grunt she hopped back over the car door - another parcel of food pressed against her chest. "Kay," she got comfortable, unwrapping the paper to reveal a juicy burger with lots of yellow-ish cheese slices lolling out the side of the bun "Chow time. Dig in!"

Winters looked down at the fast food packaging in his lap, opening up the top to peek inside. A large container of fries and boneless wings, hot and crispy. He stared, mixed somewhere between confused and grateful. "How can you grumpy with me one minute and fine the next?"

"Food first," Nora clarified, chomping down on her burger with ravenous diligence. "I've got all night to rip you a new one, boy." She dabbed ketchup from the side of her mouth with a napkin, "Now, you gonna eat that? Because I'm mad hungry."

"Yeah, sure thing. Thank you."

Before he could start however, Mike stalled. Miss Vasquez set her food aside, holding out a clenched fist. Ah yes, the fist bump, another relic from the times of old.

"We got a lotta ground to cover, but it's good to see you again, Mikey. A little creepy though, no shit. You look so different now. Toned, dyed hair… and shirts… _fucking shirts. What happened? If I stuck you under some good lights you'd almost look hot."_

He had to appease the ritual – bringing them together in the titular 'brofist' before returning to his food. "It was time for a change. I buried the 'old me' a long time ago. You haven't changed at all. Not a bit."

"Me?" Nora laughed, reaching for her soda cup and squeezing it tight. "Nah, baby. Never. The world ain't ever gonna change me."

Something about those words turned for warmth of the moment a fraction colder. Mike frowned, eating a fry and laying back against the headrest. "Of course not…."

_'I should know… I tried….'_

Four years hadn't washed the pain of such a revelation away – and despite being happy to see her again, it was an issue he'd have to address before bringing the truth of his own recent 'mishap' to bare. Regardless, as Mike looked onward, he couldn't help but feel a glow of heat deep down at his core.

Nora Vasquez – was back.

The mastermind behind this twisted game - whoever they were - had no idea what was coming to them.

_'No two ways about it... Now that Nora's here this will either end really well... or very very badly. I have to wonder... How did Lillian persuade her to help me like this?'  
_

A hand whipped in from the side - shaking Mike from his thoughts and stealing a handful of his fries. "Wake up. If you're not eatin' that I'm going in for more."

Indeed - whoever made this girl truly broke the mould.

** To be continued…. **


	8. Long Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about another instalment of Envy Problems? It's time to pick up where we left off. Thanks to everybody that voted in the last poll too. Your votes have been counted and the winners were Nikki and Celeste.
> 
> Also, if you'd like some more background on Nora and Mike I'd recommend reading Finding the Way. You can find it over on fanfiction.net and it will give you a little more insight into their past together. Now then shall we get started?

If the car pulling up at an all too quiet roadside hadn't been difficult enough, the ensuing silence sure was deafening. After food, there sure wasn't much in the way of conversation or catching up. A quiet thrashing from the rock station was about the only thing lifting the veil of difficult stillness. It was something at least, something to distract from the heavy task of treading old ground.

Except Nora took all that away with a deft flick of the dial. If anything, it seemed she was the one wanting to make some conversation.

Resting his head against the leather of the passenger side seat, Mike closed his eyes in thought. Too many memories. Far too much to cover. "Nora," he paused for a moment, "I still can't get over this. Why'd you come all the way out here?"

Her hand rested upon his shoulder, the warmth of contact flinching his eyes open, his focus square upon the dashboard. "Lillian told me what happened, ese. Sounds like there's somebody out to screw you and- You know what? You ever think I wanted an excuse to see you again?"

She looked so compassionate, so thoughtful.

"When you wandered in the other day… shit…. At first, I wasn't sure it was you, Sparky. It's been years… and yet you don't seem all too happy."

There was good reason for that, too. Sighing, Mike turned to gaze out of the window. "Remember that watch you bought me? Valentine's Day after graduation? Ring any bells?"

"The watch I don't see you wearing right now," she shot back with sass, "Yeah. Course I do. I busted my ass to get it. Hell, I wanted to give you a special send-off before I left."

That wasn't the point to this whole line of discussion. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Mike shuffled back as to free himself from Nora's hold. "When I found out from one of our old school buddies how you got hold of it... it changed things for me. I thought you were past all that-"

"Fuck sakes, Mike," Nora exhaled with frustration. "So I pulled a few strings and did some bad shit. You have any idea how much that thing cost? I was barely nineteen, holmes! Nineteen!"

"That's beside the point."

Reaching for the door handle, Mike was intent on walking the rest of the way. He was back in town at least, far enough from his apartment to walk – it'd only take maybe another twenty minutes or so.

***CLICK!***

Yet the safety locks slammed in place from the driver's side, barring his escape and with it, any hope of avoiding the full brunt of this conversation. Once again, he'd be forced to look back to his teenage years, a thought that filled him with a bleak, shadowy sensation.

"Open the door, please. I don't want to go over this right now."

The Hispanic girl reached out, holding him fast. Unbuckled and sprawled halfway across the driver's seat, she stared into his eyes. The color of blue could be terrifying sometimes.

"Nope. Now stop being such a bitch and tell me. What's your problem?"

A barbed question, sharp and painful – one that struck straight at the core of his heart. How was he supposed to explain something like this? Exhaling, hands clenched into fists, Mikey met her with equal fire, green and blue clashing in an explosive standoff of sorts.

"Hearing about what you did... Makes it feel like all I did to help you was for nothing."

Pausing for a moment, shoving his heavy feelings as far down as possible, the wounded musician pushed onward. "I helped you get through school… we were always together. I even begged my family to let you stay when we both know my aunt didn't like you… and for what?"

Ablaze, Mike kept up the pace, not planning for a moment to give up. "You moved out of my place after we graduated and went back to the same shit! Doesn't matter your reasons… you still did it, Nora! Why'd I bother sticking by you when-"

A sudden softness, the warmth of a hand upon his cheek, brought with it enough weight to silence him. Never before had he seen such a weird expression from Nora. Was she angry? Maybe she was happy? He couldn't tell. It was as if she was stuck in neutral!

"Least I'm true to myself," she spoke with low, jarring bite to her every word. "Four years and I ain't changed for shit…. I still remember where I started. Not like you…. Acting all high and mighty. Is the Winters I used to know in there somwhere? I'm seriously wondering..."

Something about those words tore in deeply, sending all of the gusto Mike had mustered crashing down in a sea of flames. Silenced, he submitted to Nora's almighty stare, stuck in the all too horrible midpoint between upset and frustration.

"I can't believe you're judging me like this, penedjo. I floored it for hours to help you and this is what I get?"

A look of realization ignited in Nora's powerful brown eyes. "I get it now," she whispered, all too quiet compared to the usual. "That's why you kept your distance from me…. All this time… and it's why you hardly ever called… always dodged me when said we should hang out…."

She was too bright for her own good. A girl with street smarts and a razor intuition to say the very least. It was something a little too painful to admit; a quiet truth that Mike had always shoved to the back of his mind, but it didn't change the gravity of the situation.

"Four years I kicked around Eaglewood and I hardly heard from you. This shit right here's why! You've been mad at me all this time! ASSHOLE!"

Mike hung his gaze and stalled. "What did you expect?"

There was no way he could hide this anymore. It'd all gone too far. Besides, he didn't figure there was much point in trying to sidestep when he had plenty to deal with already. "I put so much faith in you… I envied you, Nora! I fucking idolized you… and this is what happened! YOU THREW IT ALL AWAY! You could've done so much with personality like yours... but you didn't..."

Stunned into silence yet again by the sheer strength of his own shouting, Mike reaching to the side his friend, hand brushing up against her thigh as he fumbled blindly for the door lock. A second click of the button against his fingertip released the safety.

Nora's hand jutted out to hold him in place. There she hovered, inches away from his face. There was no escaping her attempts to bore into his soul. "Stings to think you of all people see me like this... I should punch you out for this shit."

Brushing her aside, he made for the door. "It's not what you think... If anything... street fights and slinging for deadbeats is a waste of your talent..."

Free at last, and far from willing to continue this conversation, he made an exit. Leaving the girl with a quiet, thoughtful expression to slump back into her seat, he shuffled across to the sidewalk. He'd said enough.

* * *

The full extent of his feelings were out there clear as daylight, but there couldn't have been a stranger sense of middling confusion for it.

Life had changed so much over these recent years, but there was no doubt in Mike's mind that the person he was today, the roots of the singer and the showman, had been spurred on by a few different people.

"True, Kyu awakened my potential... but Nora was with me at the very start..."

It made it all the harder to look back toward the car, and so he didn't. Miss Vasquez was pissed; she had to have been after such an outburst.

' _For fuck sakes. Here I am crossing yet another friend off my list at a time when I need her most. Lilli's gonna kill me when she hears about this but… there's no way I could've kept that inside any longer. Damn did I mess things up again... Looks like it's just me and Sapphire at this p-'_

The car door smacked shut, and with it, there came a low, painful growl from the engine. Nora was leaving, of course she was. After this, there was no doubt, as to how she'd feel.

Yet the engine froze, cut dead, and now halfway down the street, heading toward the flashing lights of the Golden Falls Casino, Winters heard the unmistakable sound of a door swinging open again. Sneakers pounded against concrete, not at all dulled by the hustle and bustle of patrons and the rattling of chips from beyond the doorway.

"Don't you walk away from me, fucker," Skidding to a stop, Nora reached out and pulled him back, stalling his exit as she jerked the fabric of his shirt.

Before he knew it Mike found those powerful blue eyes of hers a crashing into him like a tidal wave.

"You were jealous of me?" A smooth, far more familiar laugh slipped out of her ruby lips, and with it, there came a sharp slug of a balled fist against his shoulder. "You're an idiot, Sparky. A real idiot! Why envy a girl like me? I ain't got shit compared to you with your folks. No family, nothin'. It's me on my own."

Rubbing his arm to ease the throbbing, Mike edged back, waiting until finally Nora let him go. "You think it mattered to me you didn't have family? Nora… it's who you are! How did you not notice after all this time? You're cool… you're in control! When we were teens I thought you had it all… still do… kinda."

"Mike," she chuckled, coming closer – her all too badass signature smile shined brighter than the lights of the casino. "My life ain't no party. For real! I'm the girl you're lookin' at because I've always had a rough ride."

"Yet you don't let it stop you." His own attempts at gaining such confidence hadn't ended all that well. "Everything got to my head and now look at me. Lillian told you why I'm in such a mess…. If I had half the strength you've got this never would've happened.

A pat on the shoulder from Nora was a great deal of comfort – it helped keep his negative thoughts at bay. "Well… you know what to do, right? Be careful who you trust in future."

She hugged him tight for the faintest of moments, "Or you could just find a better girl… someone that _really_ wants you cuz you're a good guy, Mike. I bet if you look around there's way more hot chicks out there looking for a piece of what you got… for the right reasons..."

The distance between them restored, Nora rubbed her hands together. Almost as though nothing had happened, she took off back the way she came, beckoning him to follow. That was so like her. Not a tear, not another angry word. As usual, she was too cool for that kind of crap.

"C'mon. We can finish talking about this later. Let me drive you home. Lillian's waiting for you, man."

Lillian! She'd gone out of her way to help and the least he could do was head home and thank her for it. Well, if she were still awake, at least.

On his way back to the car, Mister Winters paused in thought, looking upon Nora's back with a soft, quietly thankful curve of the lips. "Hey," he called out to her, "Where you staying in town? I figure you booked into a hotel or something. It's a long drive from here to Eaglewood."

Popping open the driver's side door, the Mexican girl climbed in, firing up the engine. "I'm staying at the old motel downtown; you know… the one near the talent agency."

No, that wouldn't do at all. The downtown district was a messy shithole, pure and simple. Getting into the car and whacking the door shut, Mikey belted up. "Give me a couple of days to clear up the apartment and you can crash at my place if you like?"

"You got the space for me, Sparky?"

A good question – one that Mike had to think about in double time. There was plenty of room for two, but a third? It'd take some reworking, that was for sure.

"Lillian keeps drifting between the couch and my room. I figure if I ask her to stay in there while I sleep on the bedroom floor it'll leave you with the leather. Might be a little cramped but it's something. It doesn't sit right with me… you sleeping in dives and all."

Nora kept him on his toes with a playful slap on the back, cranking up the stereo with an exitable grin. "I never knew you cared, ese. Inviting girls over now, are ya? Wow… your cuz was right…. You have changed."

"Quit it, will you?" Mike looked to the open road ahead – watching the streetlights zip passed as Nora put pedal to the metal. "You know what I meant…."

"Too nice for your own good. That ain't any different… even if you do dress snappier now."

Taking a screeching left turn, Nora flipped back her dark brown locks, fingers tapping against the steering wheel in tow with the music. "You' might be callin' it wrong there," she continued in a strangely teasing tone. "I don't think it's me you should worry about climbing into your bed…. If I wanted you I'd ask straight up."

Mikey popped the top buttons of his shirt, eyes on the sights as they floored it across town. What was that weird comment supposed to mean?

"I don't follow," he sighed – trying hard to sift through the backlog of thoughts swirling around in his headspace. "That supposed to be a hint, or are you messing with me again. Damn…"

"Think about it, holmes. All the stuff that's happened. This Charlotte girl and how everything went down. You been seein' anyone apart from her, playboy? Girls can be nasty bitches when they get green-eyed. Fuck... if I found out some guy I was with had another squeeze I'd lay his ass out... but some of the chola's I know? Fuuuck... They'd ruin your life."

A good point if there ever was one. Mike had to stop for a moment and count on his fingers. Outside of Charlotte there was Audrey, he'd also been messing around with Kyu and before this, involved with Nikki too.

"There's been a few," he nodded in response. "But I dunno. What did you have in mind?"

"One sec. This is the place Lillian mentioned... I think."

Nora screamed to a stop at the roadside. A tall building of wide glass windows and smooth white concrete brought with it a sense of calming relaxation. West Drive, home. At last, a chance to rest after so much crazy shit happening. A girl in a fox mask with a Huniebee, getting cornered outside the bar; an old friend turning up like this. What was next?

"Sounds to me like someone's playing a game with you, Mike."

That much was obvious - yet it looked like his companion, ever ready, had some kind of plan. Of course she did.

Alive with confidence, she lit up like a flare.

"I think we should start by kickin' a little ass, you on the same page? Get you back on stage and singin… show whoever's doing this that you ain't out of the game just yet."

"I don't know." The thought of stepping up and performing after all this had happened felt bittersweet at best. Fixated on a pair of clasped hands within his lap, he pondered. "You think that'll do any good at this point? I mean… did Lillian show you the video? It's kin-"

"Na," Nora gave him a playful whack on the arm. "Like I said. If I wanted to see you fuck I'd ask you… not go checking out some clip… but your cuz sure was all fired up about it, tellin' me all the details. That girl really cares about you, feel me?"

Winters, scoffed, reaching out to deliver the all-important brofist before getting out of the car. "She sure doesn't show it…. So, about the idea of yours. How do you think we should do it?"

"Remember Lusties? That place we went on Valentine's Day?"

He knew it better than most, no doubt about that. "Yeah. I used to spend most of my weekends in there. Sang a lot with the band on local talent nights."

"Even better," she nodded – flashing a smile. "I'll call the manager and arrange a set for you next Saturday. Until then… get ready for it. This'll be your chance to show everyone you still got it. You with me?"

"I hear you. Loud and clear."

"Awesome."

Closing the door with a thump, Nora moved behind the wheel, giving him one last thumbs up before she revved the engine. A mighty howl tore through the quiet with reckless abandon.

"I'll call tomorrow, Mike. Now you be nice to Lillian, you hear? That girl's got your back. We both do!"

"I'll try my best. Go get some sleep. It's like four in the morning."

"Don't need to tell me twice! Later Princess!"

Slamming her foot down, Miss Vasquez screeched off the scene in a mist of burning rubber, violent black tire marks left in her wake.

With her gone, the musician looked back to the apartment building, his sights set squarely upon one of the squared third floor windows. A dim light crept around the corner of the blinds. Lillian, she must've been awake after all.

"Fuck… it's been a long night."

* * *

Tossing his house keys against the coffee table, Mike took in the sight of an empty lounge. Low lights and a quiet T.V provided at least a little illumination, and since Lillian wasn't sprawled across the couch drinking coffee or taking back her usual thirty cigarettes, he was pretty sure she was asleep for the night in his room.

Letting out an exhausted exhale, he flopped against the all too welcome comfort of the leather couch, popping the last of his shirt buttons and basking in the cooling sensation of the fan beside the door. It caressed his skin with an almost angelic touch.

The low hum of said electronic device brought a sense of calm. Contented to say the least, he allowed his weary eyes to close.

' _Time to unwind and relax a little… take it down a notch. Between Sapphire and Nora I've had more than my share of stress to deal with. Think I'll take in a little music before I sleep. Damn… can't believe it's gone four in the a.m.'_

Swiping the remote from beside his keys, the tired blond allowed his thoughts to detatch, absently flicking through the various cable channels until the calming melody of the classical music network arrived. There was nothing more therapeutic than string instruments when the stress levels were high.

A beautiful young woman of silky black hair with bright eyes, one Mike had seen a few times before on his classical music performances, arrived on stage with dainty footsteps, giving a gentle bow before readying her cello.

"Karina Santino. I knew you'd end up going a long way. The time I watched, you were playing at the stadium in Eaglewood… and I almost cri-"

A muffled sound, powerful and passionate in its intensity pulled Mike from the solace of his thoughts. Wait. Was that coming from his bedroom? Curious, he shut off the box with a slap of the remote.

Strange. Was the bedroom door ajar like that when he came in? Everything had been so tiring today. It was hard to remember!

"Yeaaaahhh…."

There it was again, this time louder and far less restrained – hungry even. Pulling himself up from the embrace of leather, morbidly curious and with a thumping heart to boot, Mikey slipped off his shoes and took slow, careful footsteps toward the doorway, flicking off the lights as we went as to not raise any suspicion.

It was Lillian's breathing alright, ragged, passionate and overwhelmed in an almost sexual howling of sorts. Seriously, had she brought a guy home without asking? His apartment wasn't just some hostel to bring home strays.

Stopping just short of the doorway, Mike steadied his breathing. Part of him felt a pang of unease. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea, yet at the same time he couldn't deny the tiny shred of curiosity, so powerful despite its size. Unable to suppress the nagging of his thoughts any longer, he peered ever so slightly around the doorway.

Burning heat cascaded across the expanse of his body, sending his cooled form into a searing mist yet again. The red organ within his chest, already frantic reached a powerful double pace, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't look away.

Lilian, and damn she was beautiful. The way her porcelain skin glowing against the illumination of a phone screen held a kind of magic to it. Sweaty and laboured, she rasped and sighed with delight, dressed down to little more than a pair of tight black panties. The fabric of said undergarments pushed to the side, she gently caressed her most delicate place, her pale face beat red as she stared with cloudy ocean eyes into a phone screen.

' _What in the fuck's wrong with me? Turn away… Dammit, Mike… Stop looking at her.'_

With every jerk, her perfectly rounded chest jiggled. Those wide womanly hips quaking as she lay spread eagle, tenderly massaging her blossom with trembling fingertips. Droplets of sweat slipping down her forehead like glistening crystals, she continued her chorus, her eyes not budging for a moment from the source of her stimulation.

' _Hold on… Is that what I think it is? No fucking way, Lili… please tell me it isn't….'_

The overly elongated whines of enjoyment rasping from the crackly speakers of Lillian's smartphone. They sounded terribly familiar. In fact, it was more than that. A voice called out in the recording with hunger, and it brought Mike's heartbeat to an even harder chorus of beats.

" _You like that, hmmm? C'mon…. Lemme hear you call my name. I wanna see those eyes of yours… so gorgeous and blue. That's it… Let me know you want me…."_

He staggered back on uneasy feet, almost tumbling over one of the lounge chairs as he went. That voice, its suave inflection and powerful, irresistible smoothness. The revelation crashed home, eyes of green widening amidst the darkness of the room.

' _She's watching the video of Charlotte and me…. She's watching us and she's…. she's…. What the fuuuuck?! Why would she- Lillian…'_

Halfway between a slide and a crawl, Mikey scuttled back across the hardwood, the thump of his back against the couch giving enough clarity to rip his flustered senses away, tossing him back into reality like a brick through a window.

Exhaling, lungs deflated and stiff, his whole body trapped in some weird vortex, he reached toward his chest. Any faster and his heart might stop.

"…I can't pretend that didn't happen," he whispered, staring into the nothingness. Without clear lighting there was little choice but to use the furniture as support to haul his body upright. "She's getting off… to me…."

Swinging his legs over the couch, Mike flopped against the leather tried to make sense of it all, finding it nearly impossible to tune out the sighs of almighty delight coming from his bedroom. He took in every audible rasp, how they quickened with each agonizingly polarizing second.

_"Ahh... Y-yeaaah... Hmmmm..."_

Finally, in a passionate howl, Lillian fell silent, nothing but tiny broken breaths echoing from the bedroom. With her intimate orchestra of sorts washed away, a powerful stillness hung in the surprisingly warm, clammy air.

Peircing the near impenetrable void of darkness, tracing the grainy outlines of ceiling paintwork, Mikey ticked over like an old clock, stalling hard every time his hour hand struck. There was no way to put it into words, and perhaps most surprising - the strength of his silent admission.

' _She looked amazing…. I know I shouldn't be looking but… dammit…. Glowing white skin and that little skull tattoo near her tummy. Lili… you've changed as much as I have….'_

His thoughts fell painfully silent as the squeaking of hinges shattered the silence like glass. Bare feet made their way across the hardwood, slow and rhythmic in their every movement. They were coming closer, no two ways about it.

' _Better close my eyes and make like I'm asleep… I don't know what I'd do if she realized I'm awake after all that.'_

The pattering footsteps finally came to a stop, so close that Mikey could hear the smooth patterns of female breathing. In and out, inhaling and exhaling. Lillian was at his side, perched like some mischievous little ghost.

' _Don't move… Don't even breathe… Completely still. Rel-'_

"It's like… good to see you finally made it home. Chyeah… took you long enough."

The gothic brat's words sank musically into his ear with such mesmeric charm that it sent a long, cold shiver crawling down the centre of his back. Damn, something about the tone in her voice, so inviting and powerful, kept pulling him deeper and deeper into a pool of blissful submission.

"Hehe... glad you didn't hear me," she teased with a giggle, "Then again… not like I would've given a fuck if you did…. Sleep tight."

A warm embrace met Mike's cheek, moist and welcoming. Her lips caressed his skin, finally backing away after claiming their prize.

Lost in a blur, nothing registered again until the bathroom door slammed shut. Alone at last, a sigh of relief slipped free, the frazzled singer bringing his fingertips up to rest upon the spot where Lili's lips had been.

Shaking a flood of rogue thoughts from mind, the singer opened his eyes yet again.

"Dammit I'm messed up… or maybe..."

Blue surged from his body, and in tandem with the tiny hint of satisfaction hidden away in the depths of his chaotic heart, the room lit up in a gentle glow.

' _No Winters…. Don't go there…. That's the last thing you need….'_

**To be continued….**


	9. Lusties Nightclub (B-Side)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT – These opening notes contain some important story related info. Please read them before continuing.
> 
> It's time for a little more Envy Problems. I've decided to open a new poll on my Fanfiction page, too. This story has the potential for the most pairing options out of everything so far. There are so many Hunie ladies in this one that I couldn't even begin to decide on my own.
> 
> So, cast your votes. Which Hunie would you like to see our hopeless musician get with in this one? Or would you perhaps like to see branching endings? Rest assured whatever the outcome, there's a good chance a couple of these chapters will end up A03 exclusive, if you catch my drift.
> 
> Oh, and one last thing. The inspirational song for this chapter is the same as the title. Lusties B-Side track, composed by World of Wandag. Go look it up before you read on. I've been looking for an excuse to drop it in one of the performance chapters for a while, minus a few lyrical tweaks, of course. You'll see what I mean!
> 
> Without further delay, let's get started.

How long had he waited? How many long days and nights brought him no closer to finding the answers he so desperately sought? No matter how many times his dreams returned to that fateful day, there was to be nothing in the way of solace. Indeed, that had been the harsh reality of it all so far, one he intended to change.

Everything was set – the perfect song for the show, one he'd mixed in the studio out of his own time. Mike Winters planned to win back the fans.

"Whoever did this to me… I'm going to get out there and show them I'm not done yet. I can't let everything I've built in Glenberry fall apart."

A quick check in the mirror brought everything home. Hair? Combed out and flowing past his shoulders. Shirt? Unbuttoned in showing of his toned, smooth chest. Casual pants and shoes? Pressed and perfectly polished. Nodding, content to leave his fate in the hands of the great musical overlords, he turned back, taking a deep breath to try and calm the stiffness of his lungs.

"Okay… Keep everything relaxed…. You can do this. You can do-"

Shoes clacked – loud and audible across the hardwood behind – snapping his senses to the forefront as he swung back out of nervous reflex.

There she stood, short but imposing, her pale complexion lit up under the soft glow of the backstage lights. Eyes of blue focused hard, hands upon hips as she closed in with sass, squeezed into a pair of skinny jeans and a black tank top – she gave a short smile.

"Good luck out there, Mike. This is like, totally your shot or whatever. Don't go screwing it up, kay?"

Empowered by her words, Mike couldn't deny the feeling of rising warmth filling his heart. Even at times like this, after all the squabbling and cross words they'd had, he couldn't deny how nice it felt to know that his cousin still supported him.

"Thanks Lillian."

For some reason, one he couldn't quite explain, things had changed since seeing her the other night. The way he viewed her – at one point as a bratty but ultimately good-hearted girl, was gone. Instead he couldn't shake those images from his mind of her delicate, pale skin, glistened with droplets of laboured sweat as she brought herself closer to a plateau of intimate ecstasy.

At first Mikey hadn't noticed – or maybe he didn't want to. Every moment spent in remembrance of the event, locked in part away within the confines of his mind, and yet equally unforgettable, brought a redness across his cheeks.

It wasn't helped as she came closer – each step seemingly slowed by the quagmire of his mental landscape. By the time Lili stopped, she was mere inches away, those deep, emotional sapphires of hers flooding into him as through a tidal wave.

"Hey," she spoke softly, her whitened cheeks flushing a hard red. "I just want you to know that... You know what? Fuck."

The musician snapped tight – his body tensing on involuntary reflex as arms coiled around his middle, squeezing with compassion. Heartbeat elevated, his mind staggered to keep track of it all.

Eventually relaxing – overtaken by a wave of something gentle and nostalgic, Mike could do little more than accept the compassionate advance – closing his eyes in quiet reflection as Lillian cuddled against his chest.

"Like, don't get used to this or anything. I mean, gag me with a spoon, you can be a complete prick sometimes… but I believe in you, cuz. Go knock 'em dead, alright? You got this."

What was with all this kindness? Why the sudden showing support after all the cold moments they'd had over the passing days and weeks? If anything, this affection, though part of him quietly enjoyed it, brought even more questions to be answered.

No – now wasn't the right time to question everything. Not with so much on the line. Instead, surrendering to his need for comfort, Mike wrapped his arms around Lillian's back, bringing her closer and tracing his fingers across her shoulders.

She shuddered under his return of affection – not moving for many a moment as their moment of bonding seemed to take on a life of its own – detached from the confines of the space backstage.

"You totally owe me for being this nice."

Lillian giggled – her voice halfway muffled within the fabric of his shirt. "In fact, you like… owe me _and_ Nora. Didn't I tell you we had your back?"

There was no way to deny it – not now.

Swallowing his pride – mustering the strength to cast aside his grayed perceptions, Mikey responded by bringing his younger relation even closer, a move, she didn't reject in the slightest.

"Yeah, you did. I didn't think I'd have the strength to step foot in Lusties again after everything that went down… and yet here I am. Guess that means I should start thinking of how to repay you."

Tiptoeing back, halfway separating, Lillian brought her hand closer, resting it upon Mike's solar plexus. Slowly, inch by inch she trailed downward with her fingertips, stopping just above his stomach before she turned away completely.

"Oh-em-gee. Seriously… You're dense as always, Mike. Chyeah… You better start thinking... Speaking of that."

Swooping around – delivering a teasing smirk as she held her arms behind her back – ample chest bulging under the struggling confines of her terse garment, the gothic girl winked.

"Everything's right in front of you and you don't even see it, do you?"

What a strange thing to say. Pondering, his thoughts divided in a number of ways on this tense evening, the elder Winters paused hard in thought. What was right in front of him? If anything, this recent turn of events had shown him one thing. Most things at first glance weren't so simple.

Despite all of his efforts however, the brain strain proved enough to almost cause a headache. Nothing in the way of answers came along.

"I don't follow. Whatever you're getting at… I'm lost."

Lillian rolled her eyes – gagging in disdain before she erupted in a micro fit of chuckles. "Still the same guy I knew before you left town. That part of you? It's not any different."

The tattooed rebel showed her back, sauntering toward the side exit past the outlets and cables. "Hmmm… Here's hoping you figure it out before you hit thirty. I'll drop a hint, yeah? You and Nora should talk waaaay more."

Just like that, Miss Winters was gone, slipping out from between the curtains. Left alone with her clue, Mike took a second to ponder, squinting his eyes against the terse shield that was the stage curtain.

_'How was that a hint?'_

"Me and Nora should talk more? Sounds more like common sense than a clue to me. I know it's been a long time since we bonded, but still. Why'd she say something so confusing as t-"

The ambient noise, background music so familiar Mike almost knew it by heart, dropped low. It was the signal from the boss man.

There followed the loud howl of the speaker system – before slowly, the curtains inched away.

" _You've seen him plenty of times! Well… he's back again tonight! Not down, not out, and singing solo. That's right! Grab a drink from the bar and get ready! It's Mike Winters!"_

* * *

There was nothing to protect him now – and quite simply no going back. The first thing Mike took note of was the crowd, smaller than usual but still well over a hundred, huddled around the stage holding camera phones - some of them leaned up against the bar with beers and cocktails.

Good – the sight of people was another small comfort. This wasn't a bust. Though less than usual, the supporters and music lovers alike had come out tonight.

Reaching for a microphone from the stagehand, waiting patiently for management to depart the stage too, Winters stopped, giving a deep breath as he entered the lion's den. Dozens of pairs of eyes held fast – no doubt watching his every move.

' _No sense in delaying the inevitable. It's about time we get this show started.'_

In one final moment, Mikey took note of everyone here – a headcount of sorts. The usual, a handful of single mothers squeezed into revealing outfits, and students aplenty, but none of these people stood out.

No – he was looking for somebody in particular.

' _There you are…. I knew you wouldn't let me down.'_

Right at the back, apparently having cleared a corner of her own – the all too familiar sight of fiery flare and confidence needed no introduction. A rough and ready badass, rocking a pair of jeans and a tee shirt with a cracked, broken heart across the front - wavy dark-brown hair pouring down her back.

She did little more than give cool, assured thumbs up. "I'm watching you, Sparky."

Words spoken silently, mouthed over the cheering masses at the front. Though tiny in scale compared to everything else, those four words alone brought more strength and comfort than the rest of the club combined. They filled Winters to the brim, giving him the drive to kick things into fifth gear.

A cool smirk firmly set in place, the singer brought the mic against his lips. "Sup guys and girls? How's Lusties treating you tonight?"

Hoots of support rang out across the establishment.

_'Yeah, these are the regulars. No doubt in my mind.'_

"So… you guys know the deal. I've had a rough ride lately… but I'm here tonight to deliver a message to all of you amazing people that support me."

He paused, mustering every ounce of charm and suave he could. Set dead ahead, fixed upon the heart of his followers, Mikey gave a thumbs up, cool and collected.

"Doesn't matter what the world throws at me. As long as I've got you guys at my back… I'm not going anywhere! What happened before? It wasn't cool… but Charlotte… I'm sorry, girl. You're amazing... I don't know how that shit went down… but I'm gonna do everything I can to put this right."

"Because you guys." Mike continued onward, impassioned and speaking from the heart – allowing his feelings to overtake everything. "My fans… my friends, the people I see walking the streets of this colorful town… you gave me a shot… you gave my band a shot… and tonight? I'm giving back!"

Snapping his fingers, the playboy and showman craclking to life in a wave of invisible blue, Mikey eased into the rising beat of the backing track.

"Remember this one, guys? Yeah! Lusties opens every Saturday with this track! I say it's about time we give it some lyrics, don't you?"

Standing at the edge of the stage, close enough for his fans to reach out and touch, Mikey tore away his shirt, tossing it down. "LET'S GO!"

Bass thumping hard, acting as his calling, the musician threw himself into the thick of it.

" _Yeah! Girl I wanna love you, both you and your friend too. Come with me I'll show you want. No I'm not a nice guy. You tried to tame me, nice try. You think I'm mister right but you're wrong…"_

" _I'M DANGEROUS."_

Hopping down from his elevated position – the sea of people parted, allowing him to stroll right on through, mic in hand. They all looked so alive, so euphoric!

" _Check it out! Hypnotized in your eyes and I wanna find a fruity prize. Seen those golden thighs… makes me wonder why I never even tried. That's right. Get up in my ride and lemme show you why a guy like me could make you wanna cry!"_

Cutting through, leaning up against the bar, supercharged with energy and Talent, surrounded on all sides, Winters let everyone get close, real close, keeping them under control with his every word.

_"Run away baby girl cuz I'm gonna slay you... then you gonna wish you ain't never met a guy like this. Look into my eyes… look on deep inside and you'll see that it ain't all lies."_

The whole club – every person within, from patrons, to fans, to bar staff alike, seemed to have their attention fixated in one place.

Fantastic, this was exactly how everything was supposed to go.

Flashing an eye in Nora's direction, just for the slightest of moments, Mikey went back to it – determined to close out this first short song with so much power it'd bring the roof down.

"Yeah… that's right! Sing it with me! One more time!"

" _Girl I wanna love you, both you and your friend too. Come with me I'll show you want. No I'm not a nice guy. You tried to tame me, nice try. You think I'm mister right but you're wrong… I'M DANGEROUS!"_

Dropping the mic against the bar, handed a glass of golden goodness from the bartender, he basked in the amazing sensation of musical bliss, downing the beautiful burning liquor in one.

A chorus of voices screamed out for more, near enough everyone waiting with bright, adoring eyes. If anything, this moment right here, one that would remain preserved in memories from now onward, made things wonderfully clear.

' _I'm not out just yet. Whoever the fuck set me up like this… they're gonna have to try a lot harder before I pack up my shit and get outta town.'_

* * *

End of the show. Sprawled in the corner, watching through tired eyes as the post-musical adrenaline frittered away, Mike yawned, resting his head against the fabric of his booth seat.

"I didn't think that'd go down so well, but damn."

Thankful in every way possible, he folded back the sleeve of his shirt, pointing toward the silvery object clasped around his wrist, and then back to a cool, collected Nora. "So… about the watch I wasn't wearing the other night? Thought I'd change that."

"About time, Princess. I was about ready to ask for it back. Nice to see you rocking it again… suits you."

There was something different about Nora's tone here. Usually the bad girl through and through, tonight, or perhaps at this very moment, she sounded so kind and compassionate. Not only that, but her eyes, usually determined and steadfast, were foggy, almost dazed.

"Okay." Unable to carry on without getting to the bottom of it, Mike leaned across the table, reaching out to give the Hispanic babe a jab on the arm. "What's with you?"

"Ever since I got off stage you've been real quiet, spaced out. That's not like you. You're always so plugged in and switched on."

Silence – at first. Though slow on the uptake, Nora eventually nodded, sliding out of her seat.

"Scoot your ass over."

Nodding, Mikey moved to free up a little space, allowing for Nora to shuffle in beside him and sit down. Having her so close like this, so intoxicatingly near that he could breathe in her scent, brought pictures of the past rushing back.

The faint scent of body mist and nicotine – the same scent that was in her car. Heck, even in her bedroom when they both lived together all those years back. In fact, it went beyond comfort – somewhere deeper, within the ocean of memories long since passed.

"Be straight with me, ese."

Honing in again, he took note of her expression. The assurance was there, ablaze like a beacon – but there was something else, too. He couldn't quite place it but something felt a little out of place.

"What's changed in you these past four years? Shit… watching you on stage like that… you were good, man… _real good_. Where'd it all come from?"

He could've put the responsibility on Kyu's shoulders. Miss Sugardust had done so much to nudge him on the right track, to turn the scruffy, quiet, conflicted person he was into something smooth, passionate and respectable.

' _No… that's not entirely right. There's a lot more to it than that… even if I don't want to admit it. Even if part of me feels gray about looking to the past too often.'_

True, as much as the past tasted cold and sour, it also brought some good things, too. Such a realization, one he'd struggled to deal with for so long now, awoke something within – another feeling of warmth, of deep rooted familiarity.

It was enough to bring a smile.

"One of the reasons I'm so confident right now… well… she's sitting right next to me."

A laugh erupted – Nora banging her fist against the table to contain herself. "Oh fuck off, Mike," she continued, "There's no way you're that confident because of me."

Calming herself – reaching across the table to the massive tray of shot glasses they'd ordered, from reds to blues and even yellows, she whipped away another tipple.

"I saw those girls when you started singing."

Knocking back the booze, Nora flicked her wavy locks. "You had em whipped, boy. For real, snap your fingers and they would've been licking your fuckin' balls."

She didn't believe him – of course not.

"I'm serious," Mike spoke up – this time far more committal in his tone. "Like I said in the car last week…. I put a lot of faith in you, Nora Vasquez. Wanted to have at least a fraction of that attitude of yours."

Her expression told it all – surprise, genuine surprise.

"Well," Nora paused, taking back another shot for good measure.

"I'd say you've done pretty well for yourself there, Sparky. For real though. _Me?_ You really cared that much?"

It was all too obvious where this was going. Despite all of that spirit, it'd been clear for a long time just how little pride his dearest friend had over some of her life choices. Their earlier argument was proof enough of that. She did things for survival – not for the sake of it.

That reason alone pushed Mikey harder to stop her before she even began.

"Don't even say it," he spoke stiffly. "I know you've never had it easy... I really meant what I said before, didn't stop me from admiring your personality."

If anything – it was something that even now, after all the time with Kyu, he still felt strongly about. "You wear all you are like a badge… you don't deny it… you don't hesitate… and you'll punch out any idiot with a problem. I see that now… and I didn't see it when we were teens…"

Nora smiled brightly – placing an arm around his waist. "You're the only fucker in the world that tried to change me… and I'm not all mad about it…. You're too soft for your own good, Winters…. Guess that makes us quite the fucking pair, don't it?"

They clanked their dinky glasses together.

"No kidding. We're reunited," Mike smirked, "And if anything…. I'm not letting petty problems get in the way of that again."

Climbing his mountainous past, hiking to the peak of his teenage years, the blonde found what he was looking for in the form of a single fleeting night so very long ago. Golden sands, a gift given, and the innermost shared.

"I've…"

Stopping himself – both desperate and fearful of his compassion in equal measure, Mikey broke eye contact, locked firmly upon the table.

"You've missed me, right? C'mere."

Just like the days of old, Nora swept through, steeling his gusto and his admission. Silenced, Mike surrendered, holding his hands up in defeat. He found himself pulled into a tight embrace, his steadfast companion placing a clumsy, boyish kiss against his cheek.

"Missed you too, asshole…. Now, how about we finish the last of these drinks and stop whining like bitches?"

That sounded like a plan, alright. Giving a honeyed chuckle, Mike brought his free arm across the table, scooting the wide silver platter of glasses closer. "Works for me… and here I thought ordering twenty-five was a bad idea."

"Fourteen left now, holmes."

A pair of hands – loud and sudden, slapped down against the table, snapping the pair from their musing. Looking up, Mikey encountered a ghostly white complexion and piercings. A haughty, pigtailed girl held a pair of hands against her hips with impatience.

She leaned across, looking to Nora with a smile and then back again. "Errrr… totally not sorry to interrupt, but I think you like, owe me something, Mike."

Prodding her fingertip against his chest Lillian gave a disjointed smirk, tugging Winters out of his embrace and onto his feet. She silenced him with a finger upon the lips, looking to Nora.

"Stealing this one for a dance. You can totally have him back when I'm done. Don't freak."

Unable to have a say in his own destiny, Mike did little more than look onward as Nora give a chillaxed thumbs up, swiping another glass of blue from the table. "It's alright, chica. Go for it!"

Reaching across – slapping the fiesty Chola's hand and tagging in – Lili cheered. "Bitchin! Be right back!"

Without even the luxury of a word in edgeways – the singer found himself snatched away, lead headfirst into the wild, untamed mass of people under the bright lights and swirling electronic beats.

* * *

Stuffed into a corner, his younger relation pressed up against him, Mikey couldn't help but place a hand upon her arm, using his free fingers to pop the top buttons on his shirt.

"You sure have a lot of energy tonight," he called out, moving with all he could muster alongside the EDM magic as it blurred from the sound system.

Lillian came in close, rubbing her back against his exposed chest, The suddenness of it certainly brought a powerful spark to his sleepy senses.

"No shit. I figure we celebrate. That and… look over there…."

Turning her cousin around, she gazed across the dancefloor with sharpened daggers.

Mikey froze – breathing hard if only for a microscopic moment, his focus brought upon the sight of violent red. Frills and ribbons acted as gift wrapping to conceal an all too deceiving gift. There she was, tapping the heel of her ribbon and lace shoe against a barstool – poison oozing as she took tiny, measured sips from a daiquiri glass.

"Audrey… of course she'd be in here."

Wanting to make damn sure nothing came of it, too, Mike swept up Lillian in his arms, meeting her with seriousness. "Ignore her. She's the last of our concerns right now. Let's just enjoy the music."

"Oh," the pasty hellion winked, "Don't worry… I'm like, totally enjoying myself. Besides… don't you see it?"

There wasn't much out of the ordinary – Audrey was dressed the same as always. "See what?"

"She looks soooo pissy over there. Wonder what crawled up her fucking cooch? Wasn't you now, was it cuz?"

Constant reminders of that oh so awkward past involvement weren't something to feel pleased about. Mike rolled his eyes with a groan.

His gaze snatched away before he could look too much longer, he was met with powerful eyes of deep blue. What was it with Lillian right now?

"She's looking this way…. Guess there's no time like the present. _Eyes on me_ …"

"What do you m-"

Outstretched palms took him in hand, delicate fingertips crawling around the cheeks in a sensual vipers embrace. Widened to a stare, Mike took in those pools of blue, bubbling with a pink hued passion. Closer, and closer, so near now that breaths caressed his face, sweet with liquor cocktails and the subtle bite of cigarettes.

Slipping to the side, head resting against his shoulder, Lillian gave a low, sensual growl, a sharpness overtaking everything as she nipped against his neck. Flinching, body tensed under the shock, Mikey sank his fingernails into her shoulders upon reflex, a muffled sigh slipping free.

The purr twisted into a growl, the gothic beauty clamping down hard, teeth sinking deeper and her tongue licking faster as she held him in perfect submission.

Finally slipping back, her blackened lips stained with a little trail of red, Lili let out a sinister chuckle, lapping up the thin rouge streak, leaning in one last time to tease the sore spot at the left side of his neck.

"Dammit," wobbly and dazed, swirling in a mire of bizarre enjoyment and pain, the elder Winters gripped her harder for support.

"Love bites sting, don't they?"

Those words couldn't have been more tantalizing in their delivery. They were so heavy in fact, that there was no way to resist them. Lost in his own little world upon the dancefloor, Mike reached out, a rising heat within his veins almost too much to handle. Why'd Lillian have to tempt him? More importantly – why'd she have to look so hauntingly gorgeous under the rays of blue and green neon?

Freed by passions, able to roam the plains of desire, the playboy was loose, glowing a blue that matched the nightclub lighting. Empowered, having not felt the touch of another for so long, Winters scoffed – the lady killer through and through.

Kyu's greatest project yet – was all too aware of what he felt, buried beneath the surface, somewhere in the deepest core of his wayward heart.

Lillian was a young woman – rebellious, rowdy and damned irresistible in her own right.

Sliding his digits beneath the fabric of her top, scratching his nails across the expanse of her sweat-glistened back, Mike trailed downward in a straight line, watching with all too much glee at the sight of her eyes rolling back in approval.

"Ohhhh shiiiiit…. M-Mike…. Be gentle…."

There his fingers parked, staying put at the base of her spine. In mere moments, he'd turned this whole thing around. Tiny, quivering breaths escaped Lillian's lips, droplets of sweat slithering down her forehead as she shuddered under the music.

"You remember the song, right? Careful there, Lili…. _I'm dangerous_ …."

Shivering under his every touch, she glared with pleading, thirsty eyes. "Uh-huh. Y- you're like, making my head spin..."

Those foggy, swirly eyes, trickles of sweat from every pore, shuddering breathes and shaky hands. So much time under Kyu's tutelage had made Mike all too accustomed to such sights. Lillian was frazzled, her thoughts long since departed for a far more _intimate_ place.

Not that he was any better right now. Moving in for the kill, the playboy finally brought his hand downward; resting it upon the bratty babe's behind, settling in place with a sharp, sexual squeeze. She was so tight – so firm.

A howl of delight ripped free – muffled against his shoulder as Lillian slumped, panting desperately, and legs wobbling like jelly as she struggled to stay upright.

Her every movement was so sluggish, so painstaking. Yet Mike did nothing but smile, ablaze like a firework, radiant enough to illuminate the club all on his own.

" _I'm throbbing…. My skin feels so fucking hot…."_

Words of animalistic hunger – words of sheer desperation. They whistled in Mike's ears – a gift from his all too willing gothic rose. Yep, he'd set things straight now.

Placing a soft, loving kiss upon her cheek, the musician broke free, turning away, only looking back for a second to provide a truly wicked smile. Playing along was one thing, but going beyond and tearing through his boundaries, however flimsy they were, was another entirely.

"Then you better go to the bathroom and sort that out… You're looking awfully flustered..."

' _Serves you right for teasing me…. That'll make you think twice.'_

Blocking his escape, hands slumped across his shoulders in a desperate attempt to hold him in place, the teen heaved into his ear, cold drops of perspiration trickling against his skin as she sank her nails into his collarbone.

"You're a dick..."

Freed at last, Mike swung around, catching just the slightest glimpse of a black blur zipping in the direction of the restrooms.

* * *

Making his way through the sea of ravers, past the misty LED's, the gorgeous swaying babes and the handsome, well-toned guys, he arrived back at his table, presenting Nora with a brofist and climbing into the booth.

"How'd it go? I lost you guys in the crowd."

Nora was none the wiser – and that alone was enough to make him beam internally like a Cheshire cat.

"Went good. You wouldn't think it but shit… that girl can dance when she wants to. I miss anything?"

"Yeah, Sparky." Nora nodded – nudging his Huniebee across the table from its resting place beside the drinks. "That weird phone you got there? Started vibrating. What's the deal with that thing? I ain't ever seen a model like it before."

The best excuse here would perhaps be the simplest one. "Got it from a friend of mine that went overseas. It's… Swedish. Huniebee? It's a real popular model over there. You can get some great apps."

Flicking the magical display, the heart-shaped screensaver turning purple and cracking down the middle, Mike ran his eyes across the various different functions. There it was, easy to find.

' _One new message – Sapphire.'_

So she'd gotten back in touch after a week of silence? Good. More importantly, had she managed to deliver on the lofty promise she'd made at the carnival? It sounded seriously farfetched, to be able to backtrack someone's device through the band's website like that.

Regardless – it was the moment of truth. poking his index against the message screen, Winters began the epic read. Fuck, this girl sure knew how to ramble about tech. Perhaps it was best to filter out the techno babble and focus on the important parts.

' _Hey Mike, hope you're well. Listen, I think I have something… but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Let's meet up and talk it over. Trust me; it'll be a lot easier to explain in person. I'd rather not have so many people suffocating me this time. I've got it. Let's meet at the Scenic Outlook near the edge of town. Tuesday at eleven in the pm. Same as before… come alone. I hope what I've found helps you out. Lady Sapphire x x x.'_

A snap of the fingers pulled Mike back from the clouds of his headspace, greeted by a pair of deep brown eyes. "You got something there? Lookin a little more upbeat than you did earlier."

Mike nodded, clanking the last shot glass together with Nora's before craning it back – exhilarated by the burn. "Might have a lead. I'm checking it in the week. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Sounds good."

Looking the slightest bit confused, the resident badass pondering something, tapping a finger against her temple. "Hold up… What happened to Lillian? She didn't come back with you…. I don't see her on the dancefloor."

"Bathroom I bet," Mikey chuckled coolly, all too content with his earlier moment of roguish charm.

"Haha…" Nora adjusted her hat. "Guess she doesn't take after you, does she? Girl can't handle her drinks…."

If only she knew the truth. Not fading in his intensity for a moment, Mike could do nothing but chuckle, suave and unrestrained. "Something like that, Nora…. Something like that…."

Turning his attention toward the bar, he focused on finding the third player in tonight's game of rebuilding. Audrey – he'd only seen her for a minute, but it was definatley her, no doubt about it. It wasn't a surprise seeing her here, but was she watching him perform, too?

From a chubby brunette in tight fishnets, to a swollen out jock wearing a sleeveless vest and cargo pants, Mike gave a double take of the bar, finally giving up when the arrangement of red, frills and laces didn't strike his sight.

Oh well – it didn't matter. If anything, tonight had shown a handful of very important things, each one far more meaningful than the presence of Miss Belrose.

' _I'm not outta the music game just yet. Nora and I have set shit right… and, Lillian…. I called it wrong... It's not a short-term thing. All those years apart - the two of us going in our own directions…. It's changed everything between us. Distancing myself from my past… it's blurred shit. The life I had back in Greenville's starting to feel more like it's a world away.'  
_

Shaking the thought away, Mike leaned back, resting his head against the comfy padding of the seat. Another fist bump from Nora, and he was good to go.

"Feels like I finally have a direction again. It's been too long… way too long."

**To be continued….**


	10. Unmasked

A cloudless sky and a powerful, glowing moon that held itself with beauty and pride. There'd been a breakthrough, it seemed. Yet as Mike waited, tapping his heel against the underlying concrete, he couldn't help but wonder. This whole situation was more than a little farfetched.

"Most people would think I've lost it if they could see me right now. Dressed to the nines in my best shirt and pants, waiting for a girl in a fox mask and a trench coat to turn up. Sounds like something out of one of those cheesy detective flicks."

Still, there weren't many options left aside from this one. The truth was painfully simple, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. There weren't any other leads. No kidding. Whoever did this had been so careful that they hadn't left a breadcrumb to the naked eye.

Holding onto the railings as he gazed out toward the sea of lights that was Glenberry, he let out a quiet, thoughtful sigh. "Is there any wonder I'm sceptical? I mean… sure, I'm far from perfect myself, but… I'd never treat somebody the way I've been treated recently."

The soft thump of sneakers against the hardened ground jolted his senses awake. They came closer by the second, until finally, the gentle sensation of a hand against his shoulder arrived. It was so warm, so unthreatening that it was hard not to let the guard down a few notches.

"Maybe you should start trusting people a little more. A guy I knew showed me the same thing…."

That voice – quiet, reserved, and perhaps the slightest bit nervous.

Turning on his heels, Mike found himself greeted by the sight of that well-crafted Japanese-style fox mask and that long, expensive looking leather coat. It seemed his quirky informant had arrived.

"Sorry I'm a little late," the fox girl uttered, taking her place at his side. "It took me a few more minutes than I thought to climb the hill."

"You're fine. It's not like you kept me waiting long." Mike gave a careful smile – still choosing above all else to remain in guard mode until he'd seen what Miss Sapphire had to offer.

"Anyway."

Reaching into the pocket of her coat, fishing around for a moment, it seemed, the short lady brought out her Huniebee, giving the screen many a lithe tap of the fingers. "I used the data packets from your website and did what I could to trace them back. Heck… I'm not a pro or anything… but…."

It was interesting to hear her voice change the moment that tech was mentioned. It was as though she'd changed from a mouse to a lion. Before Mike even realized it, she tippered and tapped like a woman possessed, finally bringing the screen up to meet his line of sight a couple of minutes later.

Well, this was strange. What was he looking at here? Some kind of online blog or diary? All he could see were countless posts about cheerleading practice, snapshots of going to bars and roadside eateries with friends, and one rather long journal entry titled, 'Totally stressing over the content for Miss Yumi's next test.'

Unsure of how this was helpful, Mike tilted his head in thought. No matter how much he squeezed his brain, nothing came to his aid. Taking a step back, bringing his hands to rest at his sides, the singer levelled a stare Sapphire's way.

"I've seen that blog a million times before. It's Tiffany's Maye's school diary. You're telling me you spent all this time messing around with my website to bring me something like this?"

Adjusting her collar, Sapphire let out a shallow groan, moving to close the gap before scrolling further up the page.

"You're not getting it," she shot back, dry and somewhat irritated in her delivery. "I traced back the I.P of one of those comments. Specifically, the one asking people if your band should break up… and it leads back to this page right here."

In a crackle of thought, Mike finally made the connection. Slow on the uptake as usual, he leaned up against the railings, snapping his fingers in a smooth musical melody. There was no better a way to prompt his thoughts, turning them into words.

"I get what you're saying…. Tiffany's involved somehow. She started the poll after the video went live. Still… I dunno…."

Something didn't feel right about this whole thing. Tiffany was a kind girl at heart. He'd known her well enough in their time together. If anything, revenge or trying to make people hurt didn't seem like the things she'd take enjoyment from. In fact, it was the reverse. She was compassionate and supportive even when it went against her.

"What's wrong?" Sapphire asked her question with a flare of concern. "You don't sound convinced. I can understand why you'd feel that way. My sources tell me Tiffany's a good person. Still… I happen to know a little more than that. Did you really think I'd bring you here on something so paper thin?"

She sounded so confident, almost arrogantly so. Slipping the phone back into her pocket, Sapphire propped herself against the railings and stared outward to the vibrant town below. It was almost a little unnerving how at ease with this whole situation she was.

"Nope. Mike. I'm of the same opinion as you here. I don't think it's Tiffany. I showed you that to prove she's not the one we're interested in."

Those words brought a cooling wave of relief to the all too terrible unease Mister Winters felt over the whole situation. "Go on," he spoke quietly, bringing his attention back toward the lights and the buildings off in the distance.

"Simple. Very simple, actually."

Sapphire paused, tippy-tapping her fingers against the protective metal of the rails with a dull 'clink'. What it her way of getting her thoughts together, maybe?

"I know somebody… a girl that's really close to Tiffany. I checked things over with her before I came here tonight. It turns out that Miss Maye's phone went missing a few weeks ago…. Think about that for a sec."

For once, Mike was on the ball – even his poor skills of guesswork able to connect the dots and begin painting the picture. The timescale matched up too well.

"Her phone went missing a few weeks back, you said, right? That's about the same time my 'wonderful' video sprang up on the website. So…. Hold on!"

The alarm bells rang out again. If anything, this new revelation made Tiffany look even guiltier, not less so. "How in the ever-loving fuck does this prove she _isn't_ involved?"

"That part's even simpler," Sapphire chuckled, smug and assured. "I also backtracked the I.P address of your phone against the video uploaded. It doesn't match Tiffany's. That means whoever did this-"

A clap of the hands and Mikey returned to form. "Whoever's responsible is using other people to cover their tracks. Speaking of that, you checked which phone the video was uploaded from, right?"

"Of course I did, Winters. Give me some credit. I'm too good to _not_ do something so basic. What I found was even more confusing. That's why I called you here, because there's no way you would've believed me if I told you over call."

Mike braced himself – something about her sudden change in tone, from powerful to quietly troubled, brought an uneasy knot in his stomach. "Go ahead…. I'm listening…."

Bringing the Huniebee out again, this time keeping the screen firmly hidden from sight, the girl in the fox mask set to work with yet another foray of screen taps and swipes, eventually putting a screenshot on show of the band's website and a bunch of computer script and codes.

"The phone that uploaded the video was definitely yours. It's been used to log-in to the website plenty of times. After going back a little ways using the data packets, I found websites for local recording studios, too... a ticket site for a classical music show… and some _interesting_ adult video choices."

Silenced and red faced, Mike shrank away, fighting with little success to hide the growing warmth in his cheeks. "Could we move on to the important shit, please? I'd rather we didn't discuss this."

Yet Sapphire wouldn't have it. She let out a low, teasing chuckle, one that felt almost jarring compared to her usually reserved and quiet personality.

" _Gamer girl webcam shows, Mike? I had no idea a guy like you was into girl gamers…."_

"That was…."

His tongue tripped in a sputtering attempt at speech. Finally, after taking a deep breath and centring himself, the singer was determined to get his back out of the corner. "There was a girl, a while back, okay? She was important to me…. Guess those feelings didn't go away entirely cuz I still miss her from time to time."

Silence – sudden and abrupt. The female information broker remained like a statue, but Mikey was pretty sure that out of the corner of his eye he saw her long, pale fingers slip free from the railings and squeeze tight into a knot.

"It sounds," Sapphire's voice came across as strained – almost a little sad. "….like she meant a lot to you."

Flashbacks – photographs both grayed and faded of a time when things were a lot kinder. Their friendship was a secret, and their feelings were hidden from the outside word. Her friends didn't approve, by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, though, Mike couldn't hold those small, fractured feelings at bay.

Nikki Ann-Marie still meant something, alright. In a small but precious way, he still held fond memories and couldn't help but quietly wonder how things might've turned out if he'd answered her text message to meet him at the arcade on that cool autumn night.

"She did. We didn't know one another for all that long, but…. We were two people, both lost and misunderstood. I just know that… if she were here right now I wouldn't be in this whole mess. She'd say something smart to get me thinking… then she'd turn back to the television and rush through another level to beat the boss…."

"W-wow." Sapphire's voice cracked – wrought with emotion and so very shaky. The contrast was quite the shock. "You were lucky to have her around…."

"Yeah…" Mike nodded, a dull ache gripping his chest. "Real lucky…."

Fighting hard, using everything he had, the disgraced musician pushed his feelings down to the pit of his stomach. Now wasn't the time to be bogged down with memories of those lovely blue eyes and Nikki's soft spoken personality.

"Anyway," bringing the conversation back on track, he looked to his informant again, arms folded in defence. "You said the video was uploaded directly from my phone, right? That's impossible…."

Sapphire was all too quiet, apparently lost in some kind of daydream. Even behind the safety of her mask, her body language told a story all of its own. "H-how so?"

"Because… that'd mean whoever uploaded the video literally took my phone from me and uploaded it. I can tell you for fact, my regular phone never leaves my hands…."

"Check this out." Sapphire gave a tap of the Huniebee screen – a padlock covering the LED readout in a glittery rain of pink sparkles. "Okay. Take my Huniebee and try to open it."

What a strange suggestion. At first, Mister Winters stepped back, running the idea through a while longer. What kind of point was the mysterious girl trying to prove?

"Go on," she urged again, this time a much more impassioned plea than the last. "Try and get through the lock."

A slow, reserved nod. Reaching out, Mike received the magical phone. Holding it in his palms, eyes of green focused hard, he slowly brought an outstretched finger closer, giving the screen a gentle flick.

A fairy popped up next to the padlock, her curvy, shapely form squeezed tightly into a black frock with golden French ringlet hair and platform shoes. There she remained on wide, artsy translucent wings of a swirly circular patterning, hovering with a teasing 'better luck next time' smirk.

" _Nope. Nice try there, dude. But this one doesn't belong to you. Yours ain't the right kinda Talent. Now… how about you pass me back to the boss lady?"_

In the whole year since receiving a Huniebee, the singer couldn't help but let out his first genuine scoff of surprise at such a new and  _colorful_ feature. Unusual wasn't the word for this one.

"Let me explain," Sapphire chuckled, leaning across to take back her phone from a dumbfounded peroxide blond. "Seems like each Huniebee phone's hardwired to its user. I can't test it for sure, but I think it's got something to do with our own unique personalities. Magic, I mean."

"I get it," Mikey spoke slowly, face scrunched in throught as he brought his own otherworldly phone from its resting place within the pants pocket. There, he stared at the blank screen, intrigued.

"But what does our phones being locked to _us_ prove in this fucked up game of Guess Who we're playing?"

"It means in order to put up your video they would've had to use your other phone… especially since there's no way for anyone but you to access your Hunie model."

Proof – through and through, but it was so utterly mind blowing! Letting out an annoyed sigh, half-defeated and half-defiant, Mikey slid his phone away, hands balling into fists.

"It was uploaded to the website at ten in the morning. I didn't wake up until one in the afternoon that day. What you're suggesting is out and out crazy!"

Sapphire held up a pair of defensive hands – stepping closer in what seemed to be a bid to break through.

Every time it felt as though an answer was on the horizon, it created another question.

"Calm down," she spoke softly, reaching out to place a hand upon the annoyed vocalist's shoulder. "Maybe the girl you slept with did it?"

Finally cooling, feeling at least the slightest hint of comfort from Sapphire's hand against his skin, Mike exhaled deeply, looking to the gravelly concrete below. The implications here were _disturbing_ to say the very least.

"Think about it, Sapphire. Charlotte would've needed the passcode for my phone, and my username and passwords for the site. That's impossible. It's literally impossible… because I don't recall giving anything like that to her."

Sighing for what felt like the fifteenth time tonight – tired of being led around in seemingly endless circles, he finally edged back. This whole situation was fast becoming a puzzle without a solution.

The girl behind the mask tried to stop him, reaching out again to grip at the fabric of his shirt.

"Then…."

Disheartened in her tone of voice, Sapphire held Mike's sleeve just that little bit harder, apparently more than desperate to keep him in place. "That makes Tiffany's missing phone our only lead. You'll have to talk to her. I know it sounds farfetched… but maybe if you can find out more..."

Mike was back on the same page again. "There might be a chance to find out who's behind it all. Sure beats guess work. Speaking of that…. How does your 'friend' know Tiffany?"

"They go back a long way," Lady Sapphire was all too quick to answer – almost frightfully so. "Knew one another in school… I mean… I think... and I met _Marie_ through a gaming community on the internet. She talks about Tiffany a lot…."

Something about this seemed very familiar. Ticking over, the hands of his clock stalling just before midnight, Mike stayed stuck to the spot, thinking through her words with a second wind of concentration.

' _Marie…. It can't be the same as…. No… I must be imagining things….'_

Just who was this girl underneath her mask? How was she so insanely talented when it came to computers, and how did she also have a friend so close to Tiffany of all people? Her answers all felt just that little bit too _convenient_.

"Okay," Mike spoke up, this time much wilier and smoother in his tone, setting the charm to maximum. "I'll go along with your idea and speak to Tiffany, Sapphire… but first… before I take the time to call her… I need you to do something for me."

"W-what?"

A stammer from the kitsune – one that caused her to retreat just the slightest bit. "What can I do for you? Just name it and I'll do what I can. _Anything…_ within reason."

Perfect. Smiling with strength and devilish flare, more than certain he had this whole situation under control, Mikey flexed his fingers outward, bringing the index of his right hand up in a sharp stabbing point.

"Take of your mask. Let me see your face. Fuck, you have me running around with you on this wild goose chase. But… if you want me to trust you then I'd like to think you could at least tell me who you are."

"Mike… I," Sapphire tripped over her words in an elongated stutter. "I can't do that…. I'm sorry… but I can't. You… erm…. I just can't."

So, her face was that precious a commodity, eh? Winters turned his back, turning up the heat in the best way he could. What sense was there in trusting this girl any longer if she couldn't do something small to show a willingness to play fair?

"Fine," he let out a low chuckle, throwing his hand out in a mocking salute before he began to make an exit. "I've got a cab coming for me in another twenty minutes… and you know what, Sapphire? I've noticed something during our little talk tonight…."

Taking to the steep sloping sidewalk, the singer began on his way. Would this work? He didn't know, but regardless, he'd try.

"You seem very determined to keep me here tonight, keep me wrapped up in conversation I mean. So… you can't blame me for feeling a little suspicious, can you? I'll be taking my leave now…."

Just like that, empowered in his own arrogant way, Mike began the long downward running trek. It wouldn't take much more than a simple call for his cabbie to change the meetup point.

"S-stop!" Sapphire boomed – loud and anything but her usual self. "Alright… I'll…."

"I'll take off the mask… but on one condition. Come over here… and you have to close your eyes until I tell you, alright?"

It was better than nothing – a fair deal of sorts. Turning back, smiling at his small victory, Mike made his return, legs stained just the slightest fraction over the hefty incline.

Feet crunching through the gravel, he paused just short of the smaller, masked stranger, waiting expectantly. Darkness swam across his vision, eyelids acting as a veil to the truth.

"Alright," Winters spoke patiently. "I'm waiting…."

"O-okay. No peeking until I say."

Sapphire's breathing picked up, heavy and robust above its usual faint pattern. Relying on sound, his sense of rhythm acting as an aid in this time of ocular silence, Mike pieced together the faint rustles of straps, like Velcro coming undone alongside the brief tapping of fingertips against wood. Soon, the identity of his quirky assistant would be out in the open.

"Stay still for just a moment, alright? Don't be an ass or I'll turn around and leave."

That voice – unmuffled by a masked echo, sounded so homely and familiar, like it'd rang out in his ears a million times before. It couldn't be who he thought it was, could i-

Warmth – undeniable and indescribable, the kind so heartfelt and precious it brought the heart to a jump. Sapphire's arms squeezed around his middle, clinging on with such strength, while her dried, chapped lips came crashing in.

Winters was unable to move – so utterly blindsided and surprised that he simply could not react. His senses burning in overdrive, heart thumping beyond the likes of recognition, he simply drank up the comfort. It'd been so long since he'd felt such genuine closeness, a far different embrace to the kind of teasing passion offered by Lillian.

Indeed, it made Sapphire's lips impossible to refuse, stranger or n-

A spark, another memory, one that was truly unforgettable. No, it was more than that. A scent, one so wonderfully special that it held a place within his heart. Chocolate. This girl, she smelled like chocolate.

Talk about being an idiot. Worse, talk about not seeing the truth when it dangled in front of him like a thread. All this time Winters had wondered, pondered and otherwise strained himself trying to figure out the mystery of 'Sapphire', and it was all so simple!

All he could do was throw his heart into the moment, kissing her back with as much passion as his frantically beating red organ could muster. Though she shuddered in his arms, delicate as a leaf in the wind, he wouldn't let go.

"Mmmmmm….."

Sapphire moaned loudly, her entire body quaking as their damp, emotional kiss deepened, becoming quite the messy, heartfelt exchange. Finally, in a mighty, heaving breath, she tore herself away, slumped and exhausted against his chest, panting in the kind of desperation his ears had never heard from a lady before.

Opening his eyes at long last, Mikey felt his heart kick even harder, quietly overoyed by the most wonderful sight that graced his bright emerald eyes.

Messy, short blue hair, and soft compassionate expression – her lips curved into a loving smile similar to that of utter bliss.

"How did I never notice it was you? Nikki…. All this time and you were waiting right in front of me…."

She let out a low, awkward chuckle, snuggling close for warmth amidst the nip of cooler night air. "I was worried you wouldn't want to see me again if I called you…. Using my gaming alias worked…. Sapphire's much braver than me…."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that – holding her even tighter, a showing of honest warmth that was far from refused. "Only you would think of doing something so crazy…."

"Worked though, didn't it?" Anne-Marie gazed into him, her pale cheeks aflame so bright they illuminated the surrounding darkness. "So… I guess that means you can trust me now, right?"

"Yeah… 'course it does. Speaking of that…."

Overwhelmed by his emotions – the raging seas within threatening to overflow, Winters brought his lips against Nikki's clammy forehead, looking to her with true, honest sentiment.

"How about we go back to your place, order a pizza, and you tell me the rest of what you know. I see it in your eyes now that you're not hiding behind the mask…. There's stuff you haven't mentioned yet…."

"P-pizza," Nikki froze – nervous but loving in her own shy, geeky way. Fingers outstretched, she clung on all the while. "Don't think I can't see the way you're looking at me too, Mike…. _Pizza_ , hmm? Double meaning, much?"

She was on to him – of course. There was no getting anything past Nikki unnoticed.

"Pizza can mean whatever you want, Nikki…. That and there's so much I want to talk about. You ever think I've missed having you around as my _friend_ , too? How could I possibly be mad at you when I was the one that screwed up?"

"At least you admit it..." Blushing, red as a rose on this moonlit evening, the girl gamer hid her face within Mike's chest, letting out a dampened, foggy laugh. "Still... you better stop acting smooth…. You're such a dick when you do that..."

"Then what's with that goofy smile you have there?"

"Because…."

Nikki paused, giving him a sharp jab of the fingertip against the solar plexus. "You're not the only one that's missed the company….. Now quit being an ass already."

Backing away for the moment and bending to pick up her discarded mask from the floor, she relented with a sheepish nod of the head. "Okay... maybe I'm being a little mean here, force of habbit. Pizza's good…. B-but…. You're sleeping on the floor…. Don't think I'm not still salty about you standing me up…."

That was fine – especially after everything that'd happened.

"I can deal with that, Nikki…. Or should I call you 'Sapphire' now?"

That much earned him a sharp, grumpy slap. "Don't push your luck…."

"Sorry..."

"You better be… because if you're not I'm going to make you play that quirky match three game again."

The one where the player character sleeps with all those hot chicks? Mikey rolled his eyes. "This is payback for before, isn't it?"

"Yep," she gave a short, teasing chuckle. "All I need is my video game collection to get even with you, Mike Winters…."

Somewhere deep down, Mike was beginning to wish he hadn't taken away the mask. After all, no matter how shy, kind and compassionate Nikki was on the surface, when it came to video games, she was an unstoppable force of nature.

What better way to strike fear into the heart of a mere mortal than to break their soul with Mario platforming? Everyone knew the Italian plumber, for better or worse. Not to mention that look in Nikki's eyes. She was serious, very serious.

**To be continued….**


	11. Reunited

There were plenty of ways to describe this moment – a fledgling instant of beauty that brought some comfort to a world otherwise too harsh, too cold. Every kiss, every touch, each delicate movement of the fingertips made this beautiful exchange all the while.

'Talk', Nikki said – 'discuss Mike's problem' she'd insisted during the cab ride home. Well, with every pass of his lips against the nape of her neck, the heart surging through his veins, rising and crackling across the walls of the room in a storm of perfect blue, Mike was sure about one thing.

Nikki was beyond simple talking – like a spider to her web; he'd been drawn in, the usually conservative girl gamer having set an inescapable trap. A shroud of blackness surrounded everything, the warmth of the room undeniable as his fingers deftly popped the buttons of her baggy pyjama short – a squeal of delight swinning through Mike's head in an almost intoxicating melody of approval.

The blue-haired beauty trembled, red faced, fingertips latching onto his cheek, eyes narrowed in sensual hunger. "Can I ask you something? I wouldn't usually bother with something so trivial but… it's been bugging me."

That expression, desperate, inquisitive and thirsty in equal measure – Mike knew it all too well. _The mark of unrequited feelings and pent up frustrations._

"Go ahead," pausing for a moment as Nikki's fingers crawled across the fabric of his shirt, clumsily fumbling with the buttons until his bare chest lay exposed, the ever-increasing temperature of their clammy surroundings sizzling his skin.

"You really went out of your way to reach out… the alias… the mask. Talk to me…. I'm here to –"

The words fell silent in his mouth – the dampness of Nikki's tongue, a lustful eel freed from the confines of her mouth, lashed up the glistened expanse of his chest. Easing back, she giggled, dirty and uncharacteristically in control of the situation – yanking her all too suave captive close.

Blue sapphires sparked against a pair of emerald eyes as the burn of desire took hold, Mike's breaths becoming short, stiff, and amazingly difficult to keep steady. An 'uphill battle' was the kindest way to describe his rouge coloured thoughts, the desire and adrenaline burning through his veins as Nikki again, came close.

Droplets of sweat pattering across his skin, she exhaled longingly – the unmistakable feeling of her hand, those adventurous fingers of hers, teasing the fabric of his checked blue boxers.

"My Huniebee…. I've looked at your profile so many times…. All your biggest secrets sat there, right in front of me, and you know what I always wondered?"

Guiding Nikki's hand around the troublesome buttons of his undergarments, Mike cracked an all too dangerous smile. "Indulge me…. I'm sure I could… _relieve_ your curiosity….."

Nikki nervously adjusted her glasses, using her free hand to hold Mike's shoulder for support. There she stayed – unwilling to move as strained rasps of breath echoed within his ear.

"How come your heart meter on my phone never dropped too far? It's been months since I last had you over like this… and it's always jumped between three, four, sometimes five hearts…. I don't wanna disappoint myself but-"

Oh no – seeing that inquisitive look, the way in which she furrowed her brows, even in the midst of passion and heartfelt sentiment, brought a tinge of worry to flare in Mike's stomach. If anything, the last month or so had proven something.

' _When Nikki Ann-Marie goes full blown detective… there's no stopping her. The glint in her eyes looks so damn hopeful…. I care about her but… I don't want to let her down….'_

A finger upon her lips, another smooth, playboy smile, and Mike brought silence to the room – Nikki's features easing into those of a girl awash with enjoyment – thank goodness. He had to be honest with her, let the truth out in his own way.

"You mean a lot to me Nikki…. Shit's been crazy with this whole video thing… but that doesn't mean I ever took for granted the time we spent together. It's why I'm here now… because you didn't give up on me."

As Mike brought his finger away – returning her freedom to speak, the bespectacled beauty edged back just the slightest bit on her knees, moving from his boxers and instead, wriggling out of her pyjama top – scrunching it into an uncaring ball and throwing it into the darkness all around them.

A simple black bra, its straps a little too lose, was the last line of defence, Mike reached out, a supercharged wisp of blue talent pulsing from his hands.

"I'm," Nikki stammered – struggling with the compliment, the flush upon her cheeks so clearly one of embarrassment as well as longing. "I'm glad…. Most people out there don't give a shit about me… but not you…. _You're different_... misunderstood but… different."

Allowing him access, her clammy hands gripping his bare shoulders and pulling away the fabric of his shirt, Nikki's smile lit up the room – honest, sentiment, if not just the slightest bit scared. After their time apart, he'd not forgotten the way she showed her affection, so often through clumsy gestures and painfully self-loathing comments.

' _Nikki reminds me too much of my younger self… but then again, maybe that's why I'm drawn to her.'_

Relinquishing the hold upon her bra strap, Mike allowed Nikki to slide his shirt away – watching with an invigorated thump within his chest, a second burn of feeling as she cast it aside like a leaf in the wind.

Freed from the confines of his top, Nikki's clammy palms returning to paw and squeeze at his skin, the musician smiled.

Nikki's dedication, despite the shyness, really was something to be admired.

"Remember when Tiffany caught you under my bed?"

Those words right there prompted a flash of white – sharp and intense. Within the confines of his thoughts, the whole thing returned, every nerve-wracking moment, Mike wholly unable to hold back the faint frown from creasing his features.

"Not my most grand moment," he answered – fighting hard to hold back the tinge of discomfort, the quiet frustration welling in his stomach. "Sure she was only looking out for you but… I can't help but feel like a-"

"Shhh," Nikki's finger brought with it the quiet his thoughts needed – his indignant flare cooling, and melting away. Ironic, it was her turn to flip the situation around.

The look upon her face – an attempt at a laid-back smirk: it didn't suit her, but there was no denying how it filled Mike's heart with a cushiony softness. She looked so cute trying to mirror the suave.

" _This time around there's no one to get in the way…."_

Snatching up his hands within her own, Nikki guided Mike back to the clasps of her bra, holding his thumbs in place – applying just enough pressure, an all too knowing smile curving her lips. It took but a moment – a fleeting instant.

As the black garment fell away, Nikki's smile intensified – eyes narrowing as she let up the pressure. "I know they're not the biggest," she wilted, a flower in the rain, the glow upon her cheeks threatening to illuminate the room.

"But… if you want to… you can- Crap… I'm not very good at this… sorry…."

Again, the stilness swept over swept over, Mike's heart thundering even harder – dizzied – hot and cold drifting across the surface of his skin, prickling like needles. He had to do something to break Nikki from her shell – otherwise they wouldn't get anywhere.

Flashing the playboy smile, an assured scoff sliding out – he reached back. It was time to level the playing field – for both of their sakes. A snap of the fingers – the flash of a light, low and gentle, cut through the lack of clarity.

"How about a little music? You'd be surprised how many songs you can fit on the Huniebee's SD card."

In an instant he swept up the magical phone, a flash of talent burning through his hands in the instant he made contact – fingertips glowing blue against the screen. A handful of swipes, a few flicks, a tactile tap against the yellow 'Tunes' folder beside the message box.

A second snap of the fingers, this one sharper, and in an instant, after flipping the phone on its front, the atmosphere in the room, one of nervousness, fizzled away. Bass thumped gently, low-fi goodness, a buttery voice serenading. Its sharp vocals only served to reward the singer with a burst of invigoration

"Friend of mine commissioned me for Hip Hop track…. Not my usual jam but fuck it…. Pretty chill, don't you think?"

' _Baby girl… I'm a samurai… katana in my hand rollin' cold as ice – a fire in my heart cuz my foes gotta to go… slice slice. A warrior of fate walking through the autumn rain, halfback back where I started… almost whole again.'_

Nikki chuckled – moving closer to slink her arms around Mike's middle – the heat of her body almost stifling. Yet at the same time, she was smiling, those eyes of hers focused anew behind the reflection of spectacles. Inward she snuggled – her feminine assets so wonderfully delicate pressing against the playboy's skin.

"You should know it doesn't take pickup lines and music to win me over… I'm _above_ that shit… but you're cute for trying. I've wanted this for a while, Mike…. I'm just nervous… that's all."

Everything twisted, the spin of gravity swishing through Mike's head as he breathed hard. The ceiling, its patterned outline, started at him through fuzzy vision – and into his view there came the loving glint of ocean blue.

Nikki held him in place – eyes locked, bare legs, dampened with heat and passion sliding around his hips. Again, lithe and empowered, her fingers slid downward, desperately pulling aside the simple black fabric of her undergarments.

"But if I'm going to do this… I'm doing it _my way_."

It was almost impossible not to look – eyes stained red with desire, marvelling at the supposedly shy gamer girl's most _special place._ That same glint of before, of fear, radiated from Miss Ann-Marie – and even through the burn – Mike struggled, a painful ache in his heart bringing him to an abrupt stop.

With a stern hand, he took a hold of Nikki's wrist, eying her carefully, cautiously, his emeralds pooling with not desire, but something else entirely. "Don't rush…. Nikki… if you don't feel right about this then… I can't…. I'd never live it down."

She paused at his words – easing downward, their skin touching again as the blue-haired girl laid upon his chest, the fragility of a kiss serving to caress the fear. "….You could tell? Of course you could…."

Another kiss, and another, the membranes of her lips stroking against the nape of his neck, clumsily working their way up and down until finally, she let out a gentle sigh, strands of fiar pouring over Mike's shoulder.

"Touch me," a commanding whisper – one laced with the unmistakable intent of a woman so heartily intent on finding release. "Maybe I'm not ready just yet… but you can touch me, right? Like the first time you stayed over…."

Pristine clarity in the form of another white flash – a photograph brought back to life from the depths of the mind. Another unforgettable moment thawed from the ice by such a passionate request.

A request a true gentleman couldn't refuse – especially from a girl with such an intimate curiosity. Bringing a hand upward, exploring with attentive fingertips, slipping against delicate curves – free now of unease, Mike nodded. Through her own honestly, Nikki had placed herself exactly where Mike wanted her.

"That much… I can do," he spoke slowly, taking every single second with care and dedication, that deadly playboy flare burning across his entirety. "But I dunno…."

Coming to a sudden stop, the tips of his fingers ever so lightly touching, teasing against her, slick with wanton desire – the lady-killer scoffed. "I thought you said earlier I was sleeping on the floor tonight…. Why oh why, are you pinning me against your sheets, hmmm?"

A whine bounced across the walls – the slender young lady letting out an achy, desperate exhale of breath. "Asshole…. Don't tease me…."

Nikki's features turned, glowing outward. Blue streams oozed from her body – the powerful waves of talent surging from her every pore, her every inch. Mike's senses crackled, his connection to the world blurring in a soundless cry. Her eyes drew him in – a trance of talented power holding his every ailing breath to ransom as she looked on with such urgency.

"Please…. Please?"

The strength of her most inspired trait, so clearly conveyed in its fullness – the walls and floor alight with sapphire wisps, overwhelmed everything the singer could muster. Nodding, devoid of air – unable to win in this battle of sorts, his fingers continued their adventure.

Warm and slick – the love of a woman so beautifully drenching his digits – Mike went deeper. Bringing his thumb and forefinger to bare, each and every beat of his heart becoming harder, faster, he moved to put Nikki under a spell of his own.

As she squeezed around him, throbbing, tensing, constricting – his pace quickened, uncaring of the droplets of sweat from her forehead she meowed, piercing and so very heatedly, into his chest.

" _Ohhhh god. Go deeper…."_

Unchained – unrestrained, truly unstoppable, the blue-haired fox, free of her mask and ensnared by the rush of womanly desire, jerked her hips, moving in mirror of Mike's every movement – matching his rhythm with one of her own. Such a sight – one of precious beauty and unbridled desire, kicked square in the chest.

Again the mind of the singer, sinking deeper and deeper into the hold of entangling allure, faded back in a grainy rerun of recollection. Black hair, tattoos, skin of pale porcelain white - and the rebellious bite of the snake's tongue.

Lillian – the way she sank her teeth into his neck, the sting of such hunger – a kink beyond forgettable. Sharing such a sensation with another – sharing it with Nikki, especially as she sprawled upon his chest, sweaty and gasping for breath, brought a terribly dirty flame, a black ember, to burn inside.

Thrown back into the moment with a sigh from the bespectacled beauty, Mike moved his free hand, brushing aside her strands of blue - inching closer. With vigorous movements the tip of his tongue, slid up and down the left side of her neck in preparation, taking in the salty tinge of her sweat, savouring it as primal drive took hold.

"Fuuuuck," Nikki cried out – her pace quickening with every passing second. "Keep going…. I'm… I'm almost there…."

Showtime – the embodiment of all things suave stood on the pinnacle – now was the time to claim his prize.

The softness of Nikki's skin brought a feeling beyond words – her entire body shuddering as Mike edged downward, nipping the nape of her neck, clamping down: hard.

Blue flooded forth – overtaking the room, a yelp of overpowering delight ripping free from Nikki's lips as she gave one final, heavy jerk of the hips, squeezing unbelievably hard, every thump of the red core within her chest radiating through Mike's body as two became one. A searing warmth, wetness beyond measure, trickled across the fingertips, dripping down the palms, pattering against the sheets - a powerful flood of womanly love splasing from Nikki's flower.

Spent, weak and devoid of breath, she flopped, her arms lolling loosely across the blond musician's neck and shoulders. "Ohhhhhh fuuuuuck…. It's never felt like _that_ before…."

_'Kinda like how I've never felt a girl do 'that' before…. Damn!'_

Exhaling, Mike slid his clean hand around Nikki's sweat-drenched back – a soft smile bringing his expression into a bright, sunny arrangement. "Glad you had fun. Although I didn't know you could-"

Nikki cut him off – placing a wobbly kiss against his cheek – the loving feeling it left behind all too special in light of the moment they'd just shared. "That's because last time we were only playing around…."

* * *

Birds whistling in union with pleasant blow of a breeze left a feeling of carefree bliss – Mike yawning softly; stretching his aching limbs as he slowly flickered back into the world, eyes opening in a blur of sleep. Coffee, its earthy aroma filling his nostrils, brought the last shove he needed to come alive.

A nest of messy spotted bedsheets tangled around his middle, his groan of mild annoyance all too clear. "Damn covers…."

"Morning," yet his grievance with the bed fell to the wayside – a none issue in wake of such a compassionate voice in his right ear. "I didn't wake you – seemed like you needed the sleep."

Scruffy blue hair and groggy, faded sapphires met his cone of vision. Who needed the sleep most? Mike couldn't help but wonder.

"Hey Nikki," with another weighty yawn the musician stabilized himself, reaching out to flick aside a couple of his lady friend's blue locks – her attention halfway fixated upon the bright light of an LED screen – those familiar heart-shaped edges making things all too clear.

The Huniebee – more specifically, Nikki's slightly more up to date version of the notorious fairy love phone. With every pitter pat of her fingers against the screen her concentration deepened, eyes further lost upon blurry lines of text.

What was she doing exactly? That look of steely focus – one Winters had seen so many times before, was almost a little jarring. Was there anybody else out there with an attention span like Ann-Marie?

A shake of the head, probably not. "You see something interesting there?"

Empty coffee cups sat upon the bedside, many a ring of condensation stained hard brown into the wooden top. Pausing, a short breath, a near inaudible sigh, Nikki pulled away from the phone – for a second or two at least.

"We found it," reaching out for the nearest mug, fingers wrapping around the porcelain handle of the pop-culture laden drinking implement, cat meme on show in all of its glory, she took a hit of caffeine, a second; a third.

Seemingly refreshed, a rasp of relief echoing across the expanse of the quiet bedroom, Nikki continued. "Tiffany called me before you woke up. The missing phone's accounted for."

That right there was news, all right. A flash of intrigue fluttering in his stomach, Mike reached over, resting a hand upon Nikki's shoulder. "Where was it? Cell phone's don't just vanish like magic."

Well, they did if your phone was a Huniebee – but regular, non-magical phones without the ability to provide song, dance, and an in depth profile of beautiful girls at the touch of a button? Nope. Not a chance in hell.

"She found it at the bottom of her bag after going to Lusties… but there was something weird when she checked it over. The GPS function had coordinates saved in the history for a hotel miles out of town."

A frightful shudder crawled up Mike's back – his thoughts hurrying in overtime – uncomfortable flashes of his rude awakening on that ill-fated morning brining a miserable weight to sit within his uneasy stomach.

"Now you have my attention," he began cautiously – a hint of fear previously stuck in his throat escaping into the open. "What kind of hotel are we talking here?"

Mike met with the screen of Nikki's Huniebee – taking in the sight of a beat up building, faded neon sign, cracked windows and washed out parking lines scored across the concrete – a complete shithole, no denying that. Yet such a sight, one so desolate, shook his skull – a pain shooting across the back of his head.

A girl, heaving, drenched in sweat, her perfectly rounded, ample behind slapping against him in a musical union of delightful cries – the image was hazy, difficult to recall, the finer details faded under mental struggle, but it was there.

"The 'Pine Motel' out in Oakridge. It's in the middle of nowhere. Why somebody would want to go so far away from civilization's raises plenty of questions. The internet coverage out there's total shit… even the cell coverage is patchy."

A bemused giggle – soft in its volume, smashed through the utter chaos raging within. Mike snapped back, breathing out, forcing the air inside his tightened lungs. "Oakridge! That's where Charlotte took me! FUCK! I remember now!"

"Charlotte?" Nikki questioned his heightened volume with wide eyes, reaching for another sip of coffee. "Who's-"

Did her significance need explaining? Apparently so. Rolling his eyes, equally agonized by the need for an explanation on top of the soreness such a revelation brought, Mike groaned.

"The girl I fucked…. Oakridge is where I went with Charlotte before all of this shit went down. We were drinking… listening to music…. I had a few glasses of liquor… started peeling off her clothes… after that."

Blackness – a dull throb crunched through Mike's head – brining him to fall quiet. "After that it's all hazy…. I think the fact Tiffany's phone ended up all the way out there makes things clear."

"No shit," Nikki snapped her fingers – eyes alive with deepest blue fury. "Whoever took her phone definitely has something to do with this. Now if we can just find out who was there on the night this all happened."

On the ball again, fingers ablaze in a flurry of tapping and swipes, Nikki grabbed for Mike with her spare hand. A sleek logo stared him in the face. As the page scrolled down the confusion faded as to what he was looking at.

"The band's website."

"Yep," Nikki confirmed with a sharp nod, "According to the timestamp on the main page… it says here the video was uploaded on November eighteenth. So if we can find some way to figure out who was checked into Pine Motel the night before…."

' _We can put together a list… narrow down the list of potential people. That… seems like a tall order. How could you find a list of guests for a motel out in the middle of nowhere? That sounds a lot like protected information t- No… wait!'_

"Nikki," Mike reached out – hurried and shaky. "I need you to run a search on Pine Motel. I'm sure there's a chain of those nasty little shithouses."

A community college campus – small, leafy, simple and green – a place detached from the bustle of Glenberry but far busier than a dead town like Oakridge. The chime of musical instruments, floodlights and the lifting 'thump' of bass and drums. Fond memories, promises made, and many happy tears to shed _. The place Third Betrayal was born._

"Greenville Community College…."

If there was one time Mike was thankful for the gift of a photographic memory, the piercing clarity it sometimes brought at random moments through sometimes-inexplicable triggers, it was now.

"Please," without so much as thinking he placed both hands upon Ann-Marie's shoulders, uncaring of the confused furrow of her brows. "Run a search on the hotel chain. I need to know who owns them."

"Alright… alright," she sighed, the slightest bit irritated, clearly – the way she brushed aside his hold to maintain something of a personal space bubble making it all too clear. "Doing it now. Calm down… shit."

"Bingo," with a 'ping' of celebration, the Huniebee shined pink against the low light shining through the slats in the blinds. "There we go. I've got it."

Holding out the phone her open palm, Nikki offered up the Wiki page. "It says it's owned by-"

"YES! YES! OH GOD! Fucking beautiful!"

Awash with hope at long last – a surge of happiness crashing over all of his internal barriers – Mike surrendered to his feelings, a cheer erupting across the room he pumped his fist tight, basking in the rush of sweet, sweet victory.

Nikki yelped – Mike uncaring of her protest as he flung his arms around her – his lips colliding with hers. She shook like a leaf as Hurricane Winters swept through.

Eventually, as the internal buzz died, the sudden blast of endorphins relaxing, Mike sighed, giving a shake of the head, to an all too baffled gamer girl as she sat there adjusting her lopsided glasses.

"Sorry," he spoke up – desperate to break through her silence. "Got a little carried away… but on a more serious note."

Mike smiled wide. "You're great… I want you to know that. You're absolutely fucking amazing."

"What's gotten into you?" Nikki piped up at long last, grabbing her coffee cup with jittery hands. "Why's the hotel's owner so important?"

That was something that he should've explained before erupting into invigorated cheering, true. Regardless, the singer exhaled, placing the phone into his lady friend's lap and pointing toward the screen. "It's because of the owners we might have a chance at fixing this fucking mess."

Fully caffeinated, head knocked back as she took in every last drop, Nikki's eyes honed in with interest as she put the cup back down. "You seem awfully about that."

"Oh I am, Nikki," Mike chuckled, pointing with an extended fingertip, toward the 'Ownership' tab at the side of the screen – damn near glowing with invisible radiance beside the bluish corporate insignia. A bold lion roaring in the backdrop of a setting sun.

" _Kane Industries…."_

A suave smile overtook everything – the bliss from moments before sweeping back in a flash flood. "Oh yeah. Whoever did this better watch out. They've fucked with the wrong guy."

Without so much as another word, Mike sprang across the bed, eying his clothes, sweeping up the mass of crumpled fabric – discarding his socks and jacket, and moving instead to sift through the pockets of his pressed trousers.

Never before had the Huniebee been such a welcomed sight – the little fairy helper sitting quietly in the middle of the screen feeling more like a gatekeeper of sorts. Brushing his finger across the touchscreen, scrolling through the call directory, Mike set to work.

' _Dialling Markus Kane.'_

The dial tone only served to heighten his mood all over again – cranking everything to eleven.

"Showtime…."

**To be continued….**


	12. Green Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT - be sure to take a look at these chapter notes before reading!
> 
> So, with the recent release of the new Hunie Direct video from Hunie Dev, there have been a few updates to game lore. I'm going to do my best to work those changes into my stories to make them fit. I mean, they're big, but for those of you who've seen the video, you'll see what I mean.
> 
> Please enjoy the newest chapter. Fans of Lillian might like this one!

At last, there was something to smile about. A day of calm and good fortune, or so it felt. Nikki's video games didn't hold the same confusion as usual – and Mike was all too happy to watch her grind through level after level of a beat up hold house with a flashlight. The protagonist? Strangely Nikki-like in fact, blue hair and glasses. The supporting character? He looked a little too familiar.

"Andrea was right here a moment ago…. The lights went out and when they came back on…."

The plot? Five friends, four girls and one guy. Something about a bunch of murders twenty years ago and getting to the bottom of it. There was a name for this kind of game – but Mike was almost clueless. An RJP? RLG? No – the answer wasn't coming.

Still, he couldn't help but feel warmed over the sight of Nikki's enthusiasm.

"What's this game called? Call me curious. It's pretty neat how you keep switching between the blonde guy and the girl wearing the sweater and glasses."

A pair called 'Nelly' and 'Mark' strangely enough. A connection here, perhaps. There had to have been. Mike didn't push it through – he sat back and waited.

Bloody letters flashed up on screen, a gruesome pause menu touched to the core with chilling, atmospheric, choir music. Damn it was unnerving. Whoever made this game had the sound design down. That much was damn sure.

"This? It's a new Survival Horror RPG! They call it 'Gallows Hill'. You can totally customize the character's appearances and stats. It's soooo good. Multiple endings too!"

With a press of the large circular button of the controller, the pause screen faded out in a sea of gray, leaving a sinister laugh behind. "I've got Nelly and Mark investigating the main hall…. There was a blackout and at the time, I wasn't controlling Andrea… She went missing."

Andrea – a girl in a red mini-skirt with the 'Underachiever' class. Mike had seen that much during his backseat role. She hadn't done much in the first chapter, but she did have a flick knife – the group's only weapon, not to mention an important set of door keys.

"I get it…. That's why you have the other two girls, Tilly and Karen exploring upstairs. They scoped out the rooms and now you need the keys Andrea found in the fireplace beside the moose head."

"That's right," Nikki chuckled softly, a look of pleasant surprise gracing her features. "You _were_ paying attention after all!"

Well, halfway toward attention at least. "Of course I wa-"

Smooth, melodic vocals, muffled but still distinct in their deliciousness, cut Mike off. Nikki paused the game again, a slight roll of the eyes showing her discomfort.

"Keep on playing. It's all good." Mike tried his best to ignore her indignant look, reaching into his pocket. A glance at his Huniebee delivered him the sight of Lillian's profile – her snarky smile unmistakable. "It's a text message. Give me a moment and I'll be right with you again."

To business he went, sweeping aside the main page, doing his best to ignore the four beating hearts or the list of likes and dislikes. Despite all of their arguments, her affection meter still kept going up. At least, it looked to be that way.

As usual, she was her fine, polite self. Not as bitchy and mean as Audrey, nope, but bratty and whiny through and through. Some things didn't change no matter how long two people spent apart.

' _Like, oh my god. Where the heck are you, cuz? I've like, totally had to cab into town and sort out some shit. Next time you go out all night, partying or something… be sure to let me know, yeah? Whatevs…. You wanna be laaame then fine… but we could head back home together if you're out already? Text back. Kisses and shit. X x x'_

Of course, Lillian was complaining about him not going home last night. Well, there was the signal at least – the big flashing red light warning the elder cousin to go meet up with the younger, moody troublemaker.

Sometimes she needed taking care of a damn sight more than an eighteen year old should've.

Sighing, Mike shook the thought from his head. You couldn't pick family, right? Working in overtime, his fingers tapping against the screen, he set to work putting together a reply.

' _Sorry I didn't let you know Lilli. It wasn't exactly planned or anything but… something came up. Alright, meeting's good. You name the place and I'll come find you. I'm not far from the Downtown district right now so I'll get to you as soon as I can. Mikey. x x x'_

With the message sent, he returned to the sound of hurried voices, atmospheric music and uneasy footsteps. The protagonists of Nikki's game looked to be exploring some kind of old, dusty drawing room with an old soot-ridden fireplace. Nothing more than a pair of struggling bulbs illuminated their search.

"Who was that?"

Nikki's voice broke through, snapping Mike from the game. Nervy at first, he slipped his phone aside. Ann-Marie had that look again, like a detective on the case. Yet it was weird. Was that jealousy in her tone of voice?

"Just my cousin." Mike shrugged off her deep, thoughtful stare with a cool, carefree smile. "We're living together and damn does she like to make her presence known. Can't go a day without her needing something."

Kind of like a lost puppy. A moody, snarky little puppy with an aversion to going outside in daylight hours. A puppy that always followed you around, growling at you one minute and then followed you home the next, but a very important four-legged friend all the same.

The thought of it tickled. Before Mike knew it, he had to hold back a snort of laughter.

"What's so funny? You're acting awfully weird today."

Again Nikki was on the ball – the game paused for what must've been the third time as she set down the controller and fastened the top button of her scruffy pyjamas.

"Nothing… but I might have to head out soon. Wish I could sit here with you the rest of the day, but I really should get back home… see if Markus comes back with anything useful."

"Oh, okay…." The girl gamer looked disappointed – sounded it too. "Don't feel pressured to go or anything. I'm not working again until tomorrow afternoon, so… if you like."

Her cheeks lit up with the passionate red of a stoplight – damn near glowing in the dim light of the room. "You could stay again and we could o-"

"Thanks for the offer," Mike silenced her with a soft, sweet finger against the lips, leaning in with the smile of a true gentleman, brushing his lips against her cheek. "Think we had a good time last night though, right? I'll…"

Arms slid around his back, the tightened grip of fingers digging tightly, almost longingly into the fabric of his shirt. Nikki rested her head against his shoulder, nervous, unsure.

"Call me the second you find something, okay? I know I'm not the best when it comes to dealing with… well… anything… but I want to help you, Mike. You're… not as bad as people make you out to be."

The way Nikki kept being stuck between mousey quiet and compassion never stopped being sweet. An introvert she sure was, but a kind, considerate introvert at heart waited beyond the surface for those with enough patience to look deeper.

"You'll be the first person I call, guaranteed. I mean, fuck…. I'm running short on people to trust… but you're definitely one of them."

Mike returned her warmth, squeezing Nikki tight. "I should pay you back for all you've done so far…. Never known someone make such an effort… messaging me like you did… the fox mask…."

"Just…."

The Barista froze up, snuggling against Mike's chest. "When you find out who did this just… be sure you do the right thing, okay? Don't let crap like this twist you up…. People are assholes. Someone willing to go this far isn't worth your time Mike… They're beneath you."

Were his feelings really so easy to read? Either that or Nikki was even sharper a judge of character than people gave her credit for.

"It's scary how well you have me figured out. Damn, I don't want to kick whoever did this into the ground. My fans are more important… the band, and poor Charlotte."

He hadn't seen or heard a word from his quirky, one night stand since they parted ways, not even a message on Third Betrayal's website to show she'd seen the fabled video. There were plenty of ways to describe a girl like Charlotte – somebody so uniquely unusual and off in her own little world, but she seemed lovely despite all that. No one deserved their picture, their face, _their body_ plastered across a page for everyone to see.

Nikki gave him a short _boop_ on the forehead with her fingertip, shuffling back to grab her controller again. "See? Your heart's in the right place. Makes me even happier to stick by you through all this."

Mike found his eyes drawn back to the game. Nelly grabbed Mark by the hand, leading him further down the dusty, cobwebbed corridors, and into a mouldy rain-damaged kitchen. There they stood, staring into the blacked abyss of a set of downward leading stone steps.

"Andrea might be down here," Nelly spoke weakly, eying her smoothly dressed blonde companion. "If we find her then we're one step closer to getting out of this-"

Again, there came a vibration from the pocket of Mike's pants. Talk about timing. Gallows Hill looked to be reaching a really good part, too. Bringing out his phone, he flicked to the message screen.

"Lillian…."

With a swipe of the finger, his eyes widened just the slightest bit.

_'Like, my god. Bet you were balls deep again last night, right? Not that it matters or anything… unless it was Belrose. Ewwww, skank alert. Oh, FYI! I'm chillin' in the mall over by the vending machines. Come meet me, kay? Then we can go home together. Ciao! Laters! X x x'_

Shaking his head, Mike put his phone away. "Yeah… I have to get going."

Nikki glanced over from bloodied screen, sideways shuffling on her butt like a bispecticled crab. Leaning on a contortionists angle against Mike's shoulder, she placed a terse peck against his cheek.

"Safe journey. If I find anything else, I'll let you know."

He kissed her back.

"Thanks! Enjoy the rest of your game."

* * *

Everything seemed alive and well within the mall, its stores alive with the hustle and bustle of people. A slew of voices rang muffled together into a single impossible to understand mass. All while shoppers went about their bargain .hunting Mike was used to it. Hell, he'd been here so many times before to get his hair styled, but the extra scores today made it harder to find someone in the crowd.

How tricky was it to find a pasty-skinned girl decked from head to toe in black? Especially when she had enough tattoos to make an artist blush. Near the vending machines, Lilli said. Well, it didn't look like she was over there waiting for him now.

"Like, there you are!" A hand on the shoulder sent a flash of adrenaline coursing through Mike's veins.

By the time, he swung back, pigtails and the pop of bubble gum set his mind to ease.

"Damn…. Don't sneak up on me Lillian."

The mall brat didn't seem to care – apparently at home in her native habitat. Was this really where she went on her rare trips outside the apartment with a handful of borrowed money?

' _Borrowed money she still hasn't paid me back yet.'_

" _Ohhhh chillax cuz!"_ Blowing another bubble, Lillian rolled her eyes, popping it and chewing like a cow. "You could, you know… look a little freakin' happier to see me. It's been like, nearly two days."

How many times had she said something like that before? _You could be happier to see me._ A famous way of the gothic hellion saying she'd actually missed him. That's how it felt, at least. Not that Lillian made herself difficult to miss. A storm cloud in summer was more subtle!

Now Mike was the one rolling his eyes. "You'd be surprised how much you're on my mind Lillian. It's hard to forget about you, trust me."

The pigtailed girl groaned with annoyance, swallowing her gum gracelessly, and hands falling upon her hips. "Like, what's _that_ supposed to mean exactly? For real… I'm the textbook meaning of a lady… Mom and dad would be _reeeeal_ proud of me."

Now, that right there? It was an incredible stretch – like hiking a mountain without gear. Or forgetting Audrey's cigarettes after a trip to the corner store. Mike couldn't keep in the low, teasing chuckle.

"Alright… if you say so. How about we head home? I've barely had a damn thing to eat today apart from coffee and muffins."

"Chyeah. Alright." Lillian swooped in, grabbing him by the arm, looking strangely like a snake ready to hiss at any other girl walking by. "You cooking tonight, or we having takeout?"

There'd never been a simpler answer to give. "Takeout. I'm waiting on a phone call." Mike winced under Lillian's tightened grip, preparing to explain himself. "My friend Mark. His family owns the hotel I stayed at when everything went down. Seeing if he can find out who checked in that night."

"Sounds like your little mystery's finally going somewhere." Lillian smirked, dragging Mike closer toward the elevator. "Nice. It's been a good day for both of us, then."

There was something about that tone of voice. The way Lillian spoke – the bitter curve of her lips. Smug, maybe even a little cynical. "Oh?"

"I'll tell you when we get back to your place, Mike."

* * *

"You did what?!"

Mike's voice cracked under the pressure. A burn of frustration washed over his every nerve – before he knew it, the liquor cabinet under the kitchen counter was open. A shot glass slid across the bar, one he filled to the brim with brandy. Imported, from Spain. The good shit.

"What? You got a problem?" Lillian stood firm, defiant and groaning with annoyance, shaking a piece of paper between her pale fingers. Okay, mister ladies' man…. First up, you don't get a say in what I do with my life. How many years you been away now?"

"You should totally listen to me for once in your life." Lillian slapped the huge white sheet, surprisingly detailed and scrawled with signatures, against the mini-bar. "Ohhhh this is gonna piss of mom and dad sooooo bad! I can see it! They're gonna be livid!"

With good fucking reason too. Mike shook his head, downing the burning liquid, savouring the tiny respite it gave before focusing in on the issue at hand – a huge issue.

' _It is hereby noted that the person in question, Miss Lillian Winters, has officially changed her legal surname at the Glenberry administrative office. All corresponding paperwork must now be amended to match this change in order to remain valid as per the rules of the state.'_

"You scrubbed out your last name! Of course they're gonna be pissed! Worse… they're gonna ask ME why I let you do it! Lillian Aurawell? Is this your idea of a joke? Where'd you even find the time to go see a lawyer? Or the money?!"

"Errrr… nope! This ain't a joke cuz! I'm super serious. Hmmm… As for paying. Dad gave me a cheque for my eighteenth. Best. Birthday. Gift. Ever. _Can't wait_ for them to find out."

The gothic brat doubled over – howling with laughter – loving every single moment like a comedy punch line. Did she see the bigger picture at all? Mike slouched against the kitchen counter, nursing the ever-increasing throbbing at the front of his forehead with attentive thumbs.

"You're not listening," the musician growled. Out of all the stupid things his younger cousin had done over the years, this one took the gold medal and sprinted down the track with it. "As always you aren't hearing a word anybody puts your way. Do you have _any_ idea how much this'll upset James and Marie?"

Lillian did little more than shrug, a wicked smile beaming with deep, scathing sharpness. "All this time and you're still clueless aren't you?"

Mike poured another glass – the pain at the front of his head squeezing tight like a vice grip. "Clueless about _what_? The way everything you do ends up a crazy rebellion against the people that worry about you?! Or the way I've started getting migraines since you moved in?"

Rolling his eyes, he only dug his heels in further. Lillian had gone too far this time. "Do fucking tell… not like I don't have enough happening as is."

Snatching up the paper, Lillian gagged with disdain, slamming her bare feet into the hardwood. The way she glared, her eyes dark with feeling, brought a crawly feeling across Mike's skin.

"Do you seriously think I'm a member of this family anymore? Huh… hasn't felt like it in a loooong time, Mikey. Why shouldn't I change my name? Not like dad's gonna care. There's a lotta things I do because people just won't give a shit."

What bullshit was she spouting now? How in the world was Lillian not a member of their family? Damn, there hadn't been a day when her parents hadn't thrown all the money in the world at her, given her everything she wanted.

Mike had to make a stand against her – try to open her eyes – for the sake of the uncle who'd taken care of him so well. "How can you keep a straight face saying that? Your dad paid your college tuition in full before you got kicked out… sends you money every month, stresses about you constantly. Did you know he _asked_ me to take you in? Then there's your mom…. She worries more than anyone!"

"Ohhhh my god." Lillian groaned - rolling her eyes so hard it was almost insulting. Grabbing for the bottle of brandy and taking a stiff swig, she slapped her open palm down against the marble.

"Dad didn't care about me when I was growing up. He was too focused on _you_ to even look my way! It's always been that way but you never saw it. I like, never forgot…. Took you to music lessons, competitions… threw all the spare time he had into looking after his _favorite nephew."_

Lillian glared, painfully bitter, scoffing in the face of the stunned silence. Is that really how she felt after all this time? Is that really how she saw everything?

"Lillian…." The goth brat slapped his hand away, his showing of comfort and concern, only hardening her eyes, so blue and pained.

"Don't touch me…. I'm not finished!"

She'd never sounded so cold, so full of bile before. Mike snatched up the brandy bottle while he could, eyes down against the floor in thought. This was obviously something that'd been eating away inside of his cousin for a long time.

Fingertips crept around Mike's face, forcing his sight in line with Lillian. With one hand, she held him, the other hand free to pull out her pigtails, sending her long black hair flowing down her back. Still, she stared into him, piercing deeper and deeper.

"Mom saw it… the way dad always clung to you. You really don't know why he did it, do you?"

Lillian didn't even wait for a shake of the head, or any kind of answer. "Fine… screw it… I'll totally tell you why…. Why you were always the special one."

Letting go, the gothic chick, burning, an almost dizzying aura of purple spilling from her short, curvaceous body, drew an invisible line with a stamp of her foot, a warning not to cross.

"The old man's like, totes guilty. Never got over losing his _beloved_ little sister…. Yeaaah, sad or what? How'd you think that makes me feel? Seeing him chase someone that's loooong gone."

She threw out her arms in a dramatic burst of emotion, hands shuddering, quaking with frustration. "You're a living memory of the one person he couldn't save… the reason I was always forgotten… left in a fucking corner…."

Every word struck hard – a hammer cracking the glass with every brutal blow. The anger in Lillian's eyes – it was terrifying. Terrifying and near enough heart wrenching. Was it true? Was the kind upbringing and all of the fond memories the musician had nothing but a lie? Sunshine and butterflies at the expense of another's dark nights and loneliness?

Lillian's shot forward in black blur, squeezing tight around the fabric of Mike's shirt with ghostly white fingers. Eyes narrowed, damp and alive with emotion, she shook him hard, jarringly hard.

"Angela's gone! Why couldn't the old bastard wake up and see that? He had a little girl with a woman that loved him… _still_ fucking loves for some reason even after all his shit… and did he care? Fuck my life… no! Didn't start bothering with me until your ass shipped out and went to college…."

Smashed and broken – a thousand fractured thoughts. How could Mike have missed something this big until now? All of Lillian's problems – all of her bitterness – came down to one emotion. A dangerous emotion poisoned with a dark green glow.

"You're jealous of me," Mike whispered, almost too quiet to hear. "You should've said something."

"What? And have you get upset? Errrr kay... Jeez I can be a bitch sometimes, but... cut some slack. I ain't that bad."

That was where she had it wrong - where she'd misread his feelings. "I wouldn't have gotten upset. We could've talked it out."

" Err… yeah… you would've! See? You're gettin' all emotional now - and there are I plenty of ways to describe how I feel. Resentment… hurt…. Your mom casts a long shadow."

All of this only served to make things worse, heavier even – as if Mike was sinking to the depths of the ocean without a lifeline. Lillian's expression made it harder, near impossible to look her in the eye.

' _To think that I've been the cause of all your problems… that you blamed me for all the hurt you've been feeling. I never knew… What's a guy supposed to do to set something like this right?'_

He sighed, confused beyond words, finally mustering the strength to speak up properly. "If you feel this way then why did you stick around so long? The last thing I want is for you to stay here with me if you can't stand the sight of me."

Lillian locked her eyes with him, the flames cooling slightly. Her fingers gripped even tighter. "You don't think it's crossed my mind? Nah…. For reals, cuz… it's not as easy as walking out and going back to those mindless drones. That 'n... I don't hate you..."

Sighing, Lillian edged back. Sprawled halfway across the kitchen counter, she trailed off toward the television in the background. "I envy you, 'n I suppose somewhere in the fucked up little mess that's me… there's plenty more..."

Of course – if Lillian's feelings went so deep then it was hardly surprising. The gothic brat – the troublemaker. Always causing a scene but never telling anyone why. Now it was too obvious. Something beyond petty rebellion. A girl striking out on her own because she felt abandoned.

Mike poured himself another drink – he needed something to cut through the tension in the air. "If you're not happy here then don't feel like you need to stay. I mean… I'm not gonna throw you out… wouldn't dream of it, but…."

He reached for the shot glass and made a beeline in the direction of his bedroom. There was an awful lot to put into perspective. "You're not happy for a good reason… and it's your right to be. My door's always open to you, Lilli… but don't force yourself to stay."

"Wait." Lillian's voice brought Mike to pause just as he was about to shut his bedroom door. "Lemme finish, yeah? I wanna tell you everything…."

What more was there to say at this point? He wanted nothing more than to sit in his room and wait for Markus to call. Still, there was something about his cousin's tone – the harshness wasn't there anymore. No, if anything she sounded soft, terse, and almost fragile.

"Okay. It's the least I can do..."

Lost in his thoughts, the vocalist brushed past the eerily quiet goth chick. His beloved leather couch would provide some much-needed comfort right about now.

Lillian tottered over with the bottle of brandy in hand, unsteadily perching herself, legs spread wide, across the arm of the furniture. She took another sharp gulp, head thrown back, before passing the booze.

Drying her lips with the back of her hand, she let out a short, deep exhale. "Sorry… bout what I said 'n shit. It's not all true… well… a lot of it is… but… you can love someone and still feel shitty at the same, ya know?"

Oh yeah. Mike had sure as all fuck, tasted that bittersweet mixer in days past. Audrey, though he'd never tell another soul straight out. "Yeah… it sure is, Lilli."

"Why'd you think I'm still here?" Stretching out her tattooed arms, the pale hellion squeezed Mike's shoulder. "I totally looked up to you when we were little... even if I did feel left out. 'S not worth much now… but it was so cool; watching you stand up on stage… the way you'd smile at me in the crowd after a violin recital…. You're your own person…. You like, always have been."

That's where Miss Aurawell wasn't quite on point. Only in recent years had Mike Winters become truly free – pursued his hopes and aspirations without too heavy a heart.

"No. You're wrong, sadly."

Lillian let out a bratty snort. "Yeaaah right. What-ever."

"It's true," Mike connected with her – green and blue eyes joining under the bright lounge lights. "When I was a kid I didn't have any confidence. Even after I left home it was the same… always stumbling. Wasn't until I met somebody really important that I saw just how much talent I had."

"Well whoever the fuck fixed you up," Lillian smiled, reaching over with her black painted toes for a beat up white carton of discarded cigarettes.

Sparking up after Mike passed her a light, she took a stiff drag, sprawling against the arm of the couch, gazing with relief toward the ceiling. "Tell 'em I said 'thanks' 'n shit. Cuz… as much it's hard to deal with you…."

Lillian took back another hit of nicotine. "I'm like, as happy a bitch I can be, chillin' in Glenberry with you…. Well, I s'pose so. Kinda strange…."

Her eyes looked so hazy – like she was a million miles away. Mike couldn't help but wonder what that expression, halfway vacant and just a little bit lost, meant.

"Strange? How so? You okay over there? You're looking spaced out."

Lillian hopped up – moving from the arm of the couch – she stubbed out her cigarette in the coffee table ashtray. So teasing and hot-blooded – her curvy behind wiggling in those black denim shorts.

Flipping back her dark locks, she spun around, allowing herself to fall effortlessly with wide arms like angel wings, into the empty spot beside Mike. "I like the new you. New Mike's good. He makes it a little easier to start getting over the old one…. You should totally stay the way you are now."

A spark of confusion shot through the musician's brain. Lillian liked his newer self. She actually preferred the emotionally charged, suave lover of ladies – the master of capturing hearts with passion. Well, this was certainly something he wasn't expecting to hear today.

"Thanks I guess." Mike paused – unsure of how to proceed. "Then agai-"

Lillian brought him to silence, reaching out to link her arm with his, resting her head of long, silky hair against his shoulder. She purred, happy like a kitten after a glass of milk. "You better not think you're off the hook… Just cuz I said I see you differently these days…"

' _See me differently? What's that sup-'_

A flashback – sharp and bright, cracked through Mike's thoughts. There he sat, back against the couch after stumbling away from his bedroom door – the sight of Lillian's bare, beautiful, sweat-glistened skin soaking his every memory.

"Oh shit..."

A heat burned across Winters' cheeks – his eyes catching the sight of blue as his mind returned to the moment at hand. Lillian stared into him, deeply and powerfully, playing with a strand of loose hair.

"Is it wrong I feel the way I do? These couple 'a months everything I knew… everything I felt… 's gone fuckin' crazy. It's more like…."

Mike wanted to say something – anything, to combat the frantic thumping in his chest. The way the gothic beauty looked at him, so naughty, so longing, her pale complexion glowing against the lights. She giggled – a breath taking womanly spectre closing in to steal away his heart.

"For reals, you've totally come crashing back into my life… and it's all changed. You don't feel like you're my cousin… 'S more like… you're the best friend I always wanted. Lives by his own rules, does the fuck ever he wants – makes me feel awesome just by lookin' at me."

Her words brought quiet again. So, she felt the same way, too. In the years they'd spent apart, Lillian had definitely started living the way she wanted, become her own person, done and changed so much, and for better or worse, it was almost impossible to see her in the same distant, murky light of the past.

Gone was Lillian Winters – Lillian Aurawell had taken her place. The lines weren't blurred – they'd dissolved entirely.

Mike struggled to draw breath, his ghostly temptress inching closer and closer by the moment, the heat of her skin pressing against his own, enticing him, and welcoming him. Inch by inch Lillian crawled over his defences, a sexy serpent of desire, coiling her arms and legs around his back in a viper's hold.

She'd claimed him already, taken the green-eyed Casanova, the embodiment of all things smooth and confident into her grip, and with a teasing, dirty chuckle, leaned closer and closer, the heat of her breath – the strong scent of nicotine swimming through his head.

"Be real with me for a sec, Mike…."

The singer surged with adrenaline as Lillian's lips, damp, ravenous, fuelled with all things rouge, and intense, collided with his. She fed upon him, tasting him, feeding on everything he was, the surge of her desire almost limitless as a deep crimson aura swept across her body in a thick, foggy cloak.

By the time she pulled away, Mike gasped for breath. Every girl kissed differently, but that right there? It was something else entirely!

Flipping back her long, black locks, tongue trailing across her lips in a lavish display of pleasure, Lillian gave a wink. "How many girls you had on this couch?"

Oh, that was it! Mike swept his hand across his shirt, popping the buttons effortlessly in an attempt to cool his burning skin. He couldn't take her teasing any longer. She didn't get to tease and tempt like this – that was his job.

So, reaching out, the dangerous smile of the devil on full display, Mike sank his nails into Lillian's back, delighting as a shrill, trembling howl ripped from her lips.

"D-dammit," the goth girl panted. "Ohhhh wow..."

"There've been more than a couple…."

Surging blue, Kyu's greatest project, moved in for the kill. "But you, Lillian? You're too special for the couch. _How about we go to my room_?"

"Uh-huh." Lillian exhaled softly, her fingertips slipping against Mike's chest. "Sounds like a seriously good idea."

She was melting in his arms, perfect.

**To be continued…**


	13. Eyes on Me (A03 Exclusive)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I know I said before there was a scene cut out of the original release of Envy Problems. Turns out that scene, from concept to actually writing, ended up so long that it became its own individual chapter. This is probably the most intimate thing I've written in the series. See what you think and share your thoughts.
> 
> You'll see in about a second flat why I couldn't include this over on Fanfiction!

No distractions – no sounds – nothing to break through their time alone. Bringing the door shut, Mike cast his emerald eyes across the room – meeting with the porcelain angel sprawled lavishly across his bed sheets. The way she looked at him, the way Lillian made his heart thump with excitement brought a smooth, devilish smile to his lips.

She'd been out of his life for such a very long time, but now? Well, she'd certainly left a lasting impression.

"Sooooo…." Lillian smirked, teasingly, knowingly, running her hands across her tummy, bringing them up to rest against the front of her artsy black bra. "I'm like, totally fucking wet…. My clit's throbbing…."

A snap of the clasp and the garment popped wide – revealing two shapely, ivory white breasts. Tilting her head innocently, giving a playful flutter of her lashes, the gothic princess scooted across to the edge of the bed, pulling Mike into her grasp.

There she kept him, so close her breaths tickled against the side of his cheek, heated and trembling with unquenched thirst. "I'm gonna enjoy this… _'specially since it's you, cuz."_

Mike shivered – brought to a shudder by the hunger in Miss Aurawell's voice. The more she caressed and pawed at his skin, biting and nipping and tantalizing, the blurrier everything became. Perceptions were meant to be broken, after all. Lilli wasn't the girl he'd grown up with anymore – she was a woman in her own right.

It was about time to let the lover of ladies loose. In a foggy twist of talented blue, the musician sent his hand downward, popping every button of his shirt rapid succession. "Careful what you wish for, sweetheart…."

Go time.

Exhaling, the embodiment of all things charismatic, Mike swept in, crawling the tip of his tongue across Lillian's neck, holding her tight by the waist, basking in the rush of adrenaline as she shuddered in his grasp.

"Ohhhhh shit…. M-Mikey… you're soooo bad…."

She hadn't seen anything yet. Squeezing tight around her middle, the Casanova turned things up a notch, clamping down against the nape of her neck with his teeth, nice and hard. Maybe a little too hard.

"F-fuck…. Y-yeaaaaah…. 'S good…"

Lillian yowled – shuddering – hissing like a sexy feline as her back fell against the sheets. Her eyes of sapphire blue pierced the blackness of the room, quivering with heart, so very alive with feeling. She wiggled beneath Mike's embrace, coming in close, tracing her tongue against his lips with a tingling softness.

Laying her head against his shoulder, she breathed hard. "For reals... you wanna screw me?"

One by one, the strings of restraint stretched taught – breaking in a delightful moment of release. This sexy she-panther needed teaching a lesson. A lesson that Winters, shining bright as the lover he was meant to be, felt all too happy in delivering. The room burned hot under the heating, his skin sizzled with every touch. It was an offer too good to refuse.

"You're not making it easy for me to resist." Mike smirked – softly holding Lillian against the bed by her shoulders. "Careful what you wish for Lilli…. I might be too much for you to handle."

A wicked smile – it was all she gave his passionate warning. "Ohhhh I betcha I can hold my own. Like, seriously…"

Lillian nudged him back with her feet, crawling out from under his sensual hold. Lifting that sweet, rounded butt of hers, hips clearing the bed, she wrestled free of her panties, kicking them to the corner and narrowing that naughty stare.

The gothic babe shuffled closer on all fours, stopping just short of Mike's waistline, tugging and pawing at the bulge within his striped blue boxers – toying happily like a cat with a ball of yarn.

"Damn…" Mike sucked in air, reaching toward the buttons of his shorts with pleasure-stricken fingers, bringing his trapped manhood freedom.

A rasp of surprise bounced off the walls. Lillian gazed upward with pleading eyes, past everything he was, the lights of her sapphires bringing a glittering softness to the room. Running her tongue across the edges of her lips, she took the base of Mike's stiff, aching penis between her fingers.

"Oh-em-gee…. Been such a bad girl all the time's paid off…. 'S my lucky night… and no one's here to get in the way, 'specially that bitch Belrose."

Opening her mouth wide, she brought her head down with a horse, wrenching cough, swallowing the object of her every desire whole.

Damn, did she feel good. Mike jammed his eyes shut for a moment, a scratchy groan finding its way out as her rested his hands upon Lillian's shoulders, basking in the sweetened bliss of her passionate gift. So damn warm, her tongue wrapped around his shaft as she bobbed her head up and down.

This was so wrong, so bad in a dozen different ways, yet in a dozen more, it felt so wonderfully _right._ In a way far beyond his involvement with every other girl, far detached from the chaos of dealing with other women or striving to make sense of his Talent and Charisma, this instant with Lillian? It was one without fear or regret.

Gagging hard, Lillian backed away, saliva dropping from the corners of her mouth sucked in a breath. "I could feel you, dirty bastard… twitching and jerking in my mouth."

Using her arms to shuffle back, she leaned up against the headboard of the bed, spreading her legs wide, the low light through the blinds illuminating her petite yet shapely silhouette with ghostly beauty.

"But," the brat gave a naughty smile, lolling her head back and howling with delight as she brushed shuddering fingertips against her swollen clitoris. "Nooooo way I'm lettin' you blow your load down my throat…. Not when I totally wanna feel you inside me…."

There should've been alarm bells – worries about the consequences of words like those, but it was all too easy to brush them off in light of such a tempting request – no, it wasn't a request. The filthy glee across her pale features made that all too clear. _This was a demand._

' _A demand I won't think twice about….'_

Sliding free of his boxers, Mike tossed them against the dresser, moving across the sweat-dampened sheets, reaching out, grabbing for Lillian and nudging her against the bedroom wall with the lightest bump.

Lilli didn't back down against his advances. No, anything but. She brought her arms around Mike's middle, coiling her legs across his back like a sensuous little snake.

"I'm totes ready," she whispered, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead. "For reals… _Make me a woman…._ I'm like, so sick of people telling me what I'm gonna do with my life. Make me yours, Mike…. Let me have what I want for once…."

There wasn't a hint of worry or unease in her voice, but it wasn't right to go ahead without checking first. This was a young lady he'd grown up beside, known longer than almost anyone, even if they'd grown painfully distant over more recent years. Waking up beside her too? That'd make things worse if this wasn't for the right reasons.

"You're sure about this?" Mike asked softly, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. "Sex changes everything between two people. I know that better than anyone…."

Lillian giggled, stealing back his kiss with one of her own. "Errr yeaaaah. Like, take it easy, cuz. I could think of waaaaay worse people to pop my pussy than you."

Mike couldn't choke back a short chuckle of laughter, reaching in again to snatch her lips, if only for a second. "Jesus you have a dirty mouth."

She winked, the musician's skin tingling as she caressed his bare chest. "Boy, I wonder who I learned that from?"

Tightening her grip with her legs, pulling even closer, the pasty little troublemaker tangled herself up, a whimper of desperation sending a cool shiver up the spine.

"You've like, got more than enough D for the job. 'S gonna be a tight fit… but that's 'kay. I'm a big girl. I can take it."

Winters inhaled sharply, the air stolen from his lungs, shaken by the amazing sensation as the head of his manhood rubbed up against Lillian's special place.

"Just a 'lil lower and you're g-"

Natural lubrication, the slickness of passion, did all of the rest. Before Mike even realized it, the edges of his sight blurring, Lillian howled in a mixture of pain and delight, features distorted, her slender body quaking to the core.

This sensation? Man oh man did Mike know it well. Different with every single girl yet somehow oddly familiar.

"Oww…. Fuuuuck….." Lillian dug her nails into the sheets, head thrown back, eyes wide as if she'd found all of the answers to life itself. Panting for breath, she made a go of things, giving the first careful jerk of her hips. "H-how do I feel? Better than all the others, right?"

Mike pulled back his fractured thoughts, adjusting to the vice-like grip that was his pigtailed lover, so tight, almost painfully tight. He exhaled deeply, eyes rolling under the sparks pleasure. "Dammit yes! Just… take it steady, alright? Don't hurt yourself…."

Their shared gaze sparked like electricity, tying two souls together as one.

"Go deep," she commanded, teasing his constricted penis with every little movement. Droplets of sweat cascaded down face, her every breath stifled and laboured. "Fuck me good Mikey…."

' _Jackpot. Got get her, Tiger!'_

Kyu's immortal words rang through Mike's thoughts, colouring his perceptions with crimson-shaded lust. Near or far, it didn't matter. Every time a lovely lady was within his grasp, there came this _feeling_ – almost as though the fairy guardian knew all about it.

Well, there was no sense in holding back now. Every single thrust, subconsciously timed through months and months of practice, brought deep, longing yelps from the girl beneath him, each one louder and louder, the desperation in her voice almost palpable. Adoration pooled in her eyes, truer than anything before.

"Y-yeah! T-that's it!" Lillian grabbed for Mike's face, holding his gaze against her, trapping him upon the sight of her heaving chest - her gorgeously rounded breasts and her glistening white skin. She cried out, a beautiful snow angel on a cold Winter night. _"Don't take your eyes off me…."_

The smile upon Lillian's lips was something else – gentle – unwavering. There was a purity to it, an innocence far detached from her dirty words or her gloomy aura.

Tighter and tighter she squeezed, the walls of her womanhood threatening to overwhelm Mike's substantial stamina. There'd been enough girls in the past to keep him going strong, but this? _This_ felt different – it brought him closer and closer to the peak of all things amazing with every strained second. His heartbeat thudded through his skull, his light of natural blue spilling forth unrestrained, filling every corner of the room with a sightless shine.

This was the one moment throughout everything where caution finally kicked in. Winters bit down against the edge of his lip, fighting with everything he had to keep himself under control, to stop his passions from overflowing.

"Lilli," he warned her – the gorgeous girl still pushing her hips into his, faster, harder. "If we keep this up I'm gonna-"

The filthy smile crept back again, a dry rasp of delight echoing across the expanse of the bedroom, Lillian only gripping down harder against his back with her smooth legs. "I'm- I'm like, seriously close too. D-don't pull out…. 'M not lettin' you pull out. Do it Mike…. I want it… _Cum for me_ …."

Everything moved in a blur – Lillian letting out a sexy growl as the whole room spun on its back. Mike squirmed, pressed against the sheets, staring up at the outline of the ceiling. Lillian held him in place, palms pressed against his chest, heaving with breath as she rode him hard, gasping, panting, and whining with bliss.

A million thoughts flashed through Mike's head at once – everything crashing together in the perfect musical score. He took hold of Lillian's hips, sliding his hands downward, squeezing her behind.

"Ohhhhhhh wow…."

The frazzled moan of a girl at her limit.

Lillian clenched tight – squeezing with everything she had – head lurched back in a shriek of almighty enjoyment. The way her eyes rolled back spoke volumes, and throttled tight by the slick walls of her tight, womanly flower, it was impossible to hold back for a moment longer, either.

Every last defence crumbled – washed away by a sea of purest passion. The call of lustful release flooded forth, crackling across every nerve as Mike jammed himself deep inside his lover, spurt after spurt of his burning hot seed filling her to the core. By the time Lilli collapsed against his chest, fighting weakly for every tiny, fractured breath, he felt the warmth of his own essence spilling from her, far too much for the girl to contain.

She snorted, giggling into his chest, sweeping upward to steal an exhausted kiss. "Ohhhh fuck…. Best. Orgasm. Ever. I totes need a cigarette."

Mike came crashing back down from the world wonderful world of passion and pleasure with a stiff sigh, a shallow 'thump' shooting across the front of his head as he reached out, running one of his hands through Lillian's messy black hair.

"Makes two of us… and I don't even smoke…."

Sexual experiences felt different with every girl – each one a truly unique moment frozen still in time, with a wide range of comfort zones, preferences and boundaries shared between two people. This time around? It didn't just feel different, it felt _really_ different.

* * *

All Mike could do was hold the Goth chick, spent and exhausted, as he tried to make sense of it all. Where the Hell was this feeling coming from? A mental checklist sparked up, names of girls crossed off one by one – all while past forays into the world of love flashed across his eyes in perfect detail. The joys of a photographic memory.

_Kyanna_

_Suki_

_Audrey_

_Kyu_

_Nikki_

_Charlotte_

Now Lillian was a part of the very same list, and _something_ about that brought the strings to pull tight in Mike's chest. Was it bad? No. Was it a good thing? Strangely, _no._ Right now? _It was indescribable._

The young lady lay asleep in his arms, snoring gently, smiling contently against his chest.

This same line of thought kept circling around in his head over and over. _Something different. Something new he'd never felt before._ What in the ever-loving fuck was it?

"No clue."

A sharp buzz, the vibration of a phone against a hard surface, snapped Mike from his thoughts, eyes darting just across the way to the faint glow of a magical screen. The Huniebee? Well, it was set up to forward calls from his regular phone. That, and it didn't sound like a regular Hunie update.

Holding Lilli in his arms carefully, treating her like a fragile, Mike shuffled across the soaking, sticky sheets, leaning up against the headboard and sweeping up his phone. Two things caught his attention.

"Alright. It's already nine at night… and Markus finally got back. Better see what he has to say."

Lillian mumbled something, wriggling in Mike's grasp, a tiny exhale slipping out. She held on tighter, snuggled closer, a string of drool leaking from the side of her mouth. A deep sleeper as always.

Now felt as a good a time as any to check the new message. A flick of the finger was all it took.

' _Good evening Winters. I know it's late… and this is constitutes very short notice, but I feel as though I had a breakthrough in contacting my uncle's hotel chain. Meet me at the Bar and Lounge in an hour if you're able. I shall be waiting there for you. Safe journey if you come out tonight, friend. I look forward to sharing a drink with you.'_

Always formal, always polite – that Mark through and through. Mike punched in a quick reply and set his phone aside, looking down to Lillian – that same unusual sensation in his chest returning, this time dulled. He placed a gentle kiss against her forehead, setting the sleeping beauty down against the sheets and propping her head against the pillows.

"I'll be back in an hour or two. Might hit the Hot Springs as well - unwind after seeing Mark. Sleep tight Lilli. Won't be gone long."

Not a word – she stayed fast asleep.

Sweeping up his discarded boxers from their place in the corner, Mike made a move for the bathroom – a quick shower was on the cards after such an intense workout.

He stalled however, looking back one last time – taking in Lillian's finer features – alive with a slew of thoughts and feelings.

Would tonight's meeting with Mark bring the answers he was looking for?

"I sure hope so."

**To be continued….**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope this was worth the wait for those of you who held off for the additional story development. It's not often I write things with so much sizzle, but it was interesting for me. As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio. I'll see you in the next part!


	14. Hot 'n Heavy

There always came relief from the gentle glow of ambient lights and a soothing glass of golden liquor. Didn't matter if it was ten bucks a glass or sometimes more. No, for Mike Winters, the price for a moment of tranquillity was never too high.

Tonight's was going smoothly. Have a few drinks and meet with Markus. After that? Relax for a couple of hours at the Hot Springs, and head back home to Lillian. Speaking of Miss Aurawell.

_'Hey Lilli. Last night was… awesome. Fire a text my way and let me know you're good when you get up, yeah? I'm in the Bar and Lounge for a few right now. Mikey. x x x'_

'Message sent'

It was hard to get the ivory white girl out of his head – her alluring demeanour and personality. Not to mention her gorgeous eyes and slim, curvy figure. There was something about her – something that made a man want to stand at her back – something powerful enough to make sure she'd never have to feel screwed up inside ever again.

"Huh… now there's a thought. Me, actually trying to put things right with honest intentions. Makes a change Winters. Makes a damn fine change."

Not that he didn't want to do the same thing with Audrey and Kyanna. Miss Delrio? She'd always been great, but the chaos of their respective life situations sure hadn't helped. Throw a love fairy and ties to a dangerous ex-boyfriend into the mix and there was only so far that one could've gone.

Audrey? Now there was a situation more colorful than a full dancefloor lightshow. Damn, even the setup at Lusties wouldn't be enough, and they sure as hell had the neon.

"Between blazing four-twenty and being drunk out of your skull…. Wow, life can be ironic when you least expect it to be. In some ways we're better suited than I would've thought."

A girl and a guy with too many inner-demons and too many destructive ways of dealing with them. A red firecracker who could only cope through booze and brownies – a singer with too much on his shoulders. A pillar of Talent, or so Kyu kept on telling him at least. Speaking of Kyu.

"Where's she been hiding lately? Been over a month now since Lilli moved in and I've not heard a word from her. Shit. How long's she gonna cover another client?"

That's what she'd said, anyway. Mike's eyes found their way to the phone again, this time flicking to the profile screen belonging to his candyfloss guardian. Four beating hearts. Sturdy and strong. Unlike so many of the other girls on here, she didn't fluctuate. She _never_ fluctuated.

Audrey's meter flew up and down like a rocket, going from black hearts back to red all the damn time. Tiffany bounced between one and two. Nikki popped between four and five. Then there were the new additions to think over.

"Nora and Lillian. Still, there's this feeling I can't shake about one of those two..."

It was something that'd been bugging him for a while. A simple gripe, really, but one Mike couldn't put to rest completely. Something just felt _off_ about this little nitpick. A sigh slipped out. Here he was, thinking about pointless crap instead of taking the weight off.

"No matter how many times I reset the Huniebee… certain parts of your profile won't update, will they Nora? I mean, damn. I know your last name and I know your favorite drink, so why won't they show up on here like everyone else's info?"

Mike couldn't help himself – couldn't stop a low, painfully ironic laugh from slipping out. Only way he could silence himself was taking ahold of his lovely golden firewater and slamming it back with a fierce growl of relief.

What did it matter about the profiles on the Huniebee? Was it important to know that Audrey's favorite hangout was Lusties and she had a love for daiquiri's? Would the world end if he didn't know Nikki Ann-Marie had an almost unnatural obsession with gaming and her family came over from Australia when she was little?

"Nope. Doesn't make a shred of difference… so why's this shit bothering me when it comes to you, Nora?"

The rough and ready gal – first up when it came to a tussle or an adrenaline-fuelled car ride. She loved loud music, was handy as fuck in a fight – a real ride or die kinda babe. Despite that tough shell though, she had heart – _real heart._

"I know you better than anyone…."

Tapping his finger on the screen, Mike sighed, nudging the magically charged fairy phone across the table. The sweet burn of more firewater numbed everything, leaving him staring at an empty glass. In some ways he was left wishing he'd gone to Lusties. At least the crowds and the noise would've helped him get lost. In here everything was too quiet.

A classy drinking establishment, sure, but too quiet. Speaking of classy.

The wall clock above the booth ticked on slowly, offset by little more than the faint hum of ambient background music from a small speaker propped up against the bar.

"Where are you, Mark? Timekeeping is usually your strong point. Not like you to be late."

Shit, the sky could rain fire and the four horseman could roll on through, and Markus Jonathan Kane would still be on time. So why, on tonight of all nights, had the impossible decided to become a distinct and somewhat unnerving possibility? It could only mean one thing – something unmistakably-

"You'll have to forgive my lack of punctuality."

Thank the almighty. Mike would recognize that strong, well-spoken voice anywhere. Relief washed over his shoulders like cooling water during an evening swim. Small mercies.

Before him stood a tall, muscular guardian. Six feet of integrity and dependability – a man of rugged features and chocolate hair, eyes hidden behind the protection of darkened glasses. There he stayed, one-hand rested against the leg of his leather pants, waiting with patience for the offer of a seat, gifting a faint smile as he held an old fashioned file stuffed with paper under his arm.

Mike smiled – pointing his thumb toward the opposite booth seat. "No need to be so polite here, Mark. You're the one doing _me_ a favour right now. Sit yourself down. Cool your heels!"

"Most appreciated. Once again, sorry I'm late. There came a few complications in finding what you asked for. It wasn't the staff, most ironically. The issue came from upper management. Somehow my father became aware of my asking questions. It took a while to… _negotiate_ with his secretary."

Of course. Winters rolled his eyes, standing to go get them both drinks. "You're almost twenty-five, Mark. Why the hell does your old man still keep tabs on everything you're doing like that?"

Slapping the file down on the table with a hefty thud, Mark tilted his glasses, giving a mocking smirk to the stupidity of it all. "I am the one element he cannot directly control through money or fear. I imagine that makes him quite nervous… especially since I'm privy to a plethora of company secrets."

How Mark had survived that rigid corporate family upbringing, Mike would never know. Sure, he was an uncaged lion, but that didn't stop the jackals circling from all sides.

Smiling, the musician got down to business – the good kind. "Brandy? Same as usual? I'm paying tonight. My treat."

A polite nod to seal the deal. Ever the gentleman, Mark pulled a silver card from his pocket and slid it across the table. Oh mercy. The Kane Industries Credit Union wasn't footing the bill tonight.

Mike waved off the offer with a weak, defensive smile. "I'm the one that dragged you out. My round. Sorry friend, but I'm insisting."

As usual, his words didn't matter. The company credit card remained on the table. Of course – there was no escaping.

"Fine," the musician sighed, defeated as his friend enjoyed a short chuckle of amusement. "But I'm getting the next one. It's not like _you_ of all people need to build that credit rating."

"Oh you would be surprised. For a reason I cannot fathom… my interest rates with the family bank are just… _atrocious_."

The Kane brand of humor – dryer than fucking sandpaper.

* * *

Drinks on the table and ready to go – the duo pushed on, Mike looking at the large leather-bound book opened wide on what looked like the centre page.

Mark took back a sharp mouthful of liquor and jabbed at the book with his thumb. "They gave me the entire guestbook after enough protest and complaint. Of course, these are copies, not the originals… but I should be able to find check-in details you want."

"Thanks." Though everything surrounding that dreaded night was a total blur, Mike still remembered the date itself with an aching, painful clarity. "November seventeenth. That's the night you're looking for."

"Consider it done."

Markus thumbed through, leaning in to compensate for his vision in the light. Wincing behind his shades, struggling even in the low ambiance, he traced his fingertip along the newly opened page. He brought his shades back to cover his eyes.

"Here you go."

Mike took hold of the book as it came his way. "Alright. Thanks. Let's see what we can find here, huh?"

The moment of truth – at least they'd finally be able to see if anybody in particular, or at least somebody he knew was out to cause trouble or settle and old score. Not many names on the paper, either. That made things all the more simple. Again with the small mercies. Tonight wasn't going too badly, all things considered.

Bringing his finger downward, crossing each name from a mental checklist, the singer tried his best to concentrate. Did any of these people sound familiar at all? Even if they were distant acquaintances or somebody he'd signed an autograph for at a show, something was better than nothing. In some ways, this was the first chance and last chance all rolled into one.

_Dominic Tanner_

_Elizabeth Sanchez_

_Ellie Carlson_

_Abia Nawazi_

_Grant Danton_

_Charlotte Mayweather_

_Larry Yao-Shin_

_Takato Mumbatu_

_Sarah Stevens_

_Frasier Jones_

_Carrie West_

* * *

"Dammit… Oh for fuck sakes…. It was worth a try."

"No luck?" Markus broke in – his voice almost comforting in the face of defeat. "Are you certain that you don't recall hearing a single one of those names before?"

How certain did a guy need to be? Mike reached for his glass – all too happy to burn out his throat with the welcoming fire of fifteen-year whiskey. "Only name on that list I can connect dots with is Charlotte… and we both know why that is."

Letting out a deep, painful sigh, Mike bit back his anger with a nip of the tongue from his teeth, thumping his balled fist against the table top. "I was sure we had something too. Now we're back to square one all over again. Thanks anyway, Mark. You've still got my back even though you don't have to. Appreciate it man. Big time."

Mark took the book back and flicked through one last time – just to be sure. "Are you absolutely sure without a doubt that the girl's phone has map data linking it to that hotel? You don't perhaps think this could be a ruse set up by the young lady helping you, do you?"

A fair but empty thought – there was no way Nikki would do something like that. She didn't have it in her to hurt a fly, let alone mess around with somebody like this. There was far more to it, as well. If she'd rigged the phone then she would've been screwing around with Tiffany, too.

Mike shook off his suggestion. "No. Nikki-Ann isn't that kinda girl. Trust me, I've gotten involved with a few ladies that've been real rough around the edges, but she's not one of them."

"In that case," the prodigy paused, closing the makeshift book and folding his hands into a tight clasp. "I may have one further method that will assist in your search. If you give me a few days longer I shall go to the hotel myself and make a few requests."

That tone in Mark's voice – assured and in control. The son of a business family to the core. It brought a feeling of hope, _and nervousness_.

"What kind of request?" Mike asked carefully, looking around to make sure there weren't too many people within earshot. "I hope you're not thinking about something too-"

"You can rest easy," Markus assured him, his lips curving into a thin smirk. "I shan't be doing anything bleak and untoward. _I'm not my father_."

That last part felt too stern. It was time to back off and leave well alone. Nod and let the prodigy do his work. Still, a little curiosity wouldn't hurt too much - hopefully.

"I have connections to somebody in Glenberry who excels at _investigating_ rumours of workplace misconduct… and I happen to know how frequently such things go 'unnoticed' at any premises owned by my father or my uncle. A simple whisper here and there and the staff should _help_ me obtain something with more depth than this check-in book."

Before Mike could even speak his question was already answered. Now a completely new line of questions crashed together in his brain, not at all eased by the calm atmosphere of the small, homely drinking spot.

New question number one was all too bright at the front of his thoughts. "Is doing something like that completely above board? I thought you could only do that kinda shit i-"

"I said I wouldn't do something untoward." Again, Markus was up on his horse and charging miles ahead with an answer. "I'm simply the son of a CEO making an enquiry… _into business conduct._ "

Business conduct? Of course.

"You sly, sly bastard. Fall in a snake pit and you'd come out with leather shoes."

Mister Kane clanged their glasses together – standing from his seat and eying the bar. "Always, my friend. _Always_."

* * *

Next on the agenda? Some good, simple relaxation. What was better than a hot tub? Natural hot springs. One of the great advantages of being in vibrant, quirky Glenberry. Past the weekend clubbers and the frisky students groping and pawing outside the club.

Halfway between the doorway to Lusties and the cabstand, Mike came to a stop – his phone signalling for attention with muffled vocals and mellow chords. Bringing out the Huniebee, he swiped at the screen. Well, points for being surprising.

"Nora. Didn't think she was free tonight. Huh, color me surprised."

Something about babysitting for a distant family member that lived around town somewhere. Either way, it must've fallen though – because the text was plenty intense – as always.

'Yo, dude. I'm bored and I ain't sittin' on my ass all night. Figure I'll come find ya – hang with you for a while. Where you at? The club? I could do with gettin' a few drinks. Text back, alright? If we're not drinking I'll drive. Don't keep me waitin' ese. We need to talk. X x x'

Sighing, Mike hailed a car, climbing into the back and slouching against the leather seat, small sports bag slung over his shoulder. The gravelly driver gave a short, unwelcoming grunt. "Where you heading, kid?"

Tossing his bag free, the singer pulled from his phone. "Hot Springs. Take the scenic route past the Outlook. I got time."

"Hmph. Whatever you want."

Back to the phone, Mike flickered open the reply screen, ignoring the constant prodding of the Huniebee's fairy helper as she went about her business, wiggling her digital ass and sweeping away old messages with a sparkly broom.

Fingers ablaze across the screen – he got down to business replying. What needed talking about? Nora sounded kinda serious there.

_'Hey. Everything okay over there? I'm on my way for a dip in the Hot Springs. Wanna join me feel free. Then again, don't think I've ever seen you do bikinis before. Huh, that'll be a first, right Nora? X x x'_

Mike set the phone down after the fairy helper buzzed away, holding his little message envelope in hand. Able to enjoy the quiet at long last, he rested his head, listening to the smooth hum of the engine as the car continued on its way.

A sharp 'ping' shamshed his Zen with a hammer – bringing his eyes back to the pinkish glow of the phone screen. A reply. Fast as after.

Nora's response? Gold. Pure eighteen-carat good stuff. Running the gauntlet with her never got old.

' _Oh, fuck you bro. I'll show you what I got! This chica has style for every occasion. Be there in an hour. Man you're such an asshole these days, Mike. Nice change. Yeah. I'm good, dude. Don't worry about it. Just got back from my cousin's place. You better watch out! X x x'_

The meeting was set.

* * *

Cold winter air and steaming hot water – an amazing contrast for the time of year. Early December. Christmas was right around the corner and that magical feeling was in the air. The one time of year Mike could feel happy to sit back and hold onto some of that childlike wonderment. It was half the reason he'd come out here tonight.

Chilling in the hot springs, he stretched out his tired, achy legs and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. He'd done plenty of worrying for weeks now. Nikki and Markus were still looking into everything. The next couple of hours? No stress, no worries. Nothing like that.

"This is more like it."

The patter of bare feet against a tiled floor. Mike didn't pay too much attention – paid even less attention when somebody got into the water. Instead, he kept his eyes closed, lost in thoughts, lost in himself – at least until a pair of arms slipped around his shoulders.

"Damn, boy. _Estoy impresionado."_

Mike met with blue eyes and a sassy smile when he looked again. Everything froze solid, the breaths catching in his lungs as they struggled to escape. The girl in front of him. Wow. His chest pulled tight.

' _Holy shit… jus'… wow….'_

Crystalline moonlight shone from the cloudless winter sky, basking the water in radiance, every perfectly shaped curve dripping with water, squeezed tight in an eye-catching ocean blue bikini. Mike panned upwards, still desperately short of breath, his sight crawling across each detail with painstaking appreciation. Her delicious thighs, her pear-shaped silhouette and those gratuitous, glistening breasts.

"Hey Nora…."

She winked, sliding her hands without a care to grip tight against his shoulders. "Sup there, Sparky? You're lookin' a little red. Cat got your tongue?"

"Errrr…. Yeah. S-something like that I guess." Finally, he forced out a short rasp, filling his lungs with what little he could muster in a slim second. "You're erm… looking great."

"Ohhhhh…" The Hispanic babe only came in closer – her womanly assets pressing against his chest as she pinned him up good. "Not teasing about the bikini now, are ya? 'Kay fucker… let me put something to ya… nice 'n straight."

Mike fell silent against her advances – the Talent and Charisma both proving utterly useless against the fire and flare of his long-time friend.

She smiled like a wicked bitch – knowing damn well, what she was doing, too. Sure they'd been close, still close as ever since she came riding into town, but this? Whatever _this_ was, Nora wasn't playing around.

"You're my guy, right? You've always watched my back. I'd ride 'n die for you, holmes. So let me say it my way. Other night at the club when we were slammin' shots together…."

Nora brought her hand upward, caressing his cheek with her palm, sliding her digits downward with slow, scratching fingernails. It stung – his head spun in a circle, the edges of his sight fogging under the sensation.

"When a girl kisses you it means she wants something… and I'm done waiting for you to figure it out. I ain't always been honest with you, Mike… Real talk… I'm fuckin' liar, but I guess that means I better make it count now. One liar to another."

Where was all of this coming from? It was so sudden. The singer could barely keep track. His mind was going a mile a second over everything. This was Nora – and she was all over him like a bitch in heat! Why?

"What are you talking about? What's this-"

"Nuh-uh." Nora brought him to silence with a finger against the lips. There she kept him – on her terms as always. "Shut the fuck up. Let me talk. _I'm in charge tonight."_

Mike nodded – dismantled by everything she was.

"I know all about your shit, holmes. Biggest playboy round town. Half a dozen girls chasing you like stray puppies. Fans crawling out the woodwork to park up on your dick…. You play dirty. Real dirty."

Mike's eyes widened – how'd she know about that? He'd kept it under wraps so damn well, made sure come hell or high water his stint as a local ladies man was kept under lock and key from her, so where-

"I ain't letting you go. I'm done sitting on the side-lines waiting. _I want you Mikey….."_

Confident and empowered – a true beauty under the light of the moon, she crashed in and held him with one hand, sliding the other behind her back to tug at the simple string of her bikini top. Like magic, the piece of thin fabric fell away, floating upon the water with shattered innocence.

Mike's heart flew into a frenzy as Nora closed the gap, her voluptuous chest pressing against him - all natural – utterly mind blowing. Fingernails clawed across his collarbone and down his chest, bringing a shiver even in the heat of the water.

Nora stared into his soul – stole him away with eyes deeper than the ocean. "Baby…. I'm not gonna make the same mistake my 'lil cousin did. I'm too damn good for some greaseball with gang tats in a wifebeater… No way…. _Nora Delrio's beneath that shit_ …. Sure you're a fuckin' pretty boy…."

Another self-confident wink from the sexy tomboy, " _But you're mine….."_

Mike's thoughts imploded – bursting outward in a scream of warning red fireworks. All those times he'd had a strange feeling he couldn't quite place. All those times he'd looked at Kyanna in days past and wondered why they felt so _right_ together.

The truth was out there – brighter than any festive firework and more revealing than the all-seeing eye of the moon. Delrio. _Nora Delrio._ She'd been living the perfect lie all this time.

A shallow ping rang through Mike's head from the Huniebee sat at the water's edge. _Now_ her profile information was updating. Fan fucking tastic.

Weak and bewildered – the stunned musician tried to match her advances, his hands creeping lower and lower, cupping her within lithe, attentive fingers. No amount of Talent or Charisma would save him here, but no surrender, no matter the odds.

"You played me," Winters growled softly, impressed as much as he was wounded, fighting the chaotic pang within his chest. "Kyanna's your-"

"Bingo," she brought him to pause, sweeping in close, her breath caressing his neck, her teeth nipping against his lips with hunger, laced with desire. "Vasquez? It's papas name…. Changed it back to Delrio when we graduated…."

The opening song to Mike's most recent show in Lusties kept playing over and over in his head – mocking him, teasing him. This girl had moved back, watched him from the bar, helped him stand tall once again on a pedestal fit for only the most talented bastard – and here she was, stealing his motherfucking spotlight.

"Guess that means you know everything that happened there… hmm?"

" _Every… fucking… thing_ ," Nora paused. "Every single time the 'lil chica called… all the dates you went on. Fuck… I came into town to babysit most nights. All me, ese. _All me_."

The guilty pleasure struck hard – Mike didn't quite know where to put himself. Tangled in the web of a badass black widow, he languished, tangled and unable to get away. His only chance? Play her back at her own game.

"And yet," Mikey moved in, exhaling softly – letting the lover loose. "You're straddling me in a glorified hot-tub… Sounds like someone's jealous. Cute… real cute…."

A sharp rasp slithered out as Nora squeezed at his crotch with her wandering digits. They crawled beneath the fabric of his swim shorts, clasping tight, ripping the air from his lungs in a sea of razor sharp bliss. Talk about rough.

"Careful now, Sparky…."

Fluid wrist movement – back and forth, perfectly skewed between bitter and sweet. Mike's head spun, slumping against her shoulder in passionate breaths. He writhed under every second, trying to claw back his enjoyment for fear of drawing too much attention.

"Don't go bursting on me yet," Nora teased him like the queen bee she was, scratching her other hand down the length of his back – revelling in his wonderful anguish. "We're only just getting started…."

Pulling her nails from his slick skin, she grabbed for his chin, hungrily lunging with eyes of a tigress.

Mike burned under the pressure – shuddering in the middle of a two-sided attack from which there was no escape. Nipping at his lips as she kissed him, Nora left her mark, drawing back after stealing another piece of his cracked restraint and licking a glistening string of saliva away.

" _Now who's dangerous, big shot? This is one Delrio girl you can't mess with…."_

Oh, that did it. Mike chuckled, low and smooth, bringing those green eyes up to level the playing the field. Tease and torment as much as she pleased, but there's no way he'd let her win.

Moving his hands in a perfect motion, massaging and dominating her more than ample chest, the Casanova struck out. Every steamy cats purr, every stifled sigh from the chola was music to the ears, beautiful music. Sweeter than any vocal cord and more passionate than any violin.

"Fuck," Nora sucked in air, throwing back her head, little droplets of sweat sliding down her skin from the burning heat of their shared game. She followed every movement, trading every pleasurable squeeze with a dominating nip or scratch of her own. "C'mon…. Keep going. D-don't quit now, Mike."

The perfect moment to take command. Winters slipped down low, plunging his face between those gorgeous womanly assets. Using the tip of his tongue, he traced across the length of one of Nora's swollen nipples in perfect circles, basking in the invigorating burn of adrenaline as she growled sensually into his ear, those long, smooth legs crawling around his hips.

Nora splashed against the water, heaving for breath, her entire body quaking to the core as slowly, one second at time, he pinched her nipple between his teeth, squeezing down hard. She wanted it rough? _She'd get it._

Everything fell hazy, Mike's entire body snapping tense before he could so much as make sense of anything. He was pinned up tight again – jammed between the smooth rock wall at his back and the gorgeous girl at his front.

Miss Delrio panted like an animal, sweaty and primal, squeezing so tightly around him that she ground against the bulge in his shorts through the fabric of her swimsuit bottoms.

Their eyes shared a mutual agreement – one free of a single shred of doubt.

Mike eased himself out of the springs, perched up against the water's edge beside his Huniebee - with the coldness of the wall at his back sending a shiver. Steam wisped around Nora's body as she joined him, pulling the final string of her bikini free – watching with a feral thirst as he slipped out of his swim shorts and tossed them to the water.

Smiling like the devil, he ran the tips of his fingers across the delicate skin of her most special of places, heart thundering with glee at the revelation. _Wet. Soaking wet._

Nora slipped those legs of hers around him again, perched mere inches from perfect bliss with fire in those oceanic blue eyes. "Kinda surprised this didn't happen sooner," she teased with a nip of her teeth against his ear. "You ready for me, dude?"

Ready for this? Part of him had dreamed about it for almost five long years – never forgetting the moment they shared on Turtle Bay Beach after graduating high school. A gift given. A promise made.

How it'd turned out in the end? Far more passionate. Passionate was good all the same.

"Yeah," Winters nodded – his thoughts melting into blissful goo, savouring every second as Nora's pretty features contorted, feeling her slickness, her feminine essence consume him entirely, squeezing tight in ownership of everything he was. "Oh- Ohhhhh God….. N-Nora…. Fuuuuuuuck."

Her heartbeat rang through his ears, tying them together.

Streaks of sweat slipping from her every inch, pattering against Mike's skin in an icy heat, Nora jerked her hips in a deep, sexual heave of breath, holding her lover tight, stealing him away, taking him for her own. She didn't take her eyes off of him for even a second – not allowing him a single sight but her heavenly body bathed in the moon's glow.

Reaching down with one of her hands, she wrapped their fingers together in a tight knot, those ruby lips of hers curving into a dominating smile. "Ride or die, baby."

Mike squeezed her hand tighter – surrendering entirely. This moment right here? Five years in the making?

It was perfect.

**To be continued….**


	15. Lines Blurred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but surpise! How about another chapter of Envy Problems. I'm sure you guys and girls have been waiting long enough. I really wanted to bring things together here as we move into what I like to think is the second part of the story. Not only that bit I wanted to give a little nod to the newest announcement for the Huniepop 2 cast, Candace.
> 
> Let's get started! My thanks for waiting so patiently while I got around to writing some more for this one. I've known what I wanted to write for this one for a while. It was just a case of how I wanted to put it down on paper.

"So, does this make us official, holmes?"

Mike laid his head back against the leather of his seat, watching out of the corner of his eye as Nora sparked up a smoke and took a deep drag. Same as always, she looked so perfectly in control, drumming the fingers of her free hand against the steering wheel. _Official?_ Now that was one the musician didn't think he'd ever hear. Nora wanted something serious out of this? Up until now she'd never seemed the type for it. Then again, they weren't in school anymore. _People changed, didn't they?_

_Winters knew that better than anyone._

"Is that really what you want, Nora? I mean... I figured I had you all worked out on the dating front. I thought serious wasn't your style."

His statement, earned him a playful punch on the arm. Nora blew smoke into the air, dotting out her cigarette into the dashboard ashtray, taking a long hard look toward the moon for what must've been the second time tonight. There they were, a pair of twenty-somethings parked up in a beat up red sports-car beside the Hot Springs. Nora had been looking distracted since they got back to the car, her eyes glassy and her expression strangely _, worrying... _distant.__

" _You've always been on my radar, baby_ ," she admitted with a deep sigh, staring upward toward the starry night sky. For the longest time she didn't say anything else, a pointed, almost jarring quiet taking over, until finally, she pulled the driver's seat back from recline, looking Mike square in the eye. "How'd you think it felt for me when I heard you were datin' Kyanna? Girl's my 'lil chica... mom's favorite niece."

The trademark smirk returned, that slightly despondent look she held replaced by fire. Nora took hold of his shoulders, giving a knowing, dangerous wink, leaning in closer, so close the scent of nicotine flooded the senses. "Part of me always thought about coming back to Glenberry, giving you a shot, Mike. Hah... funny how shit works, ain't it? Kyanna beat me to the draw."

Now everything made sense. Nora stepped aside for the sake of her younger cousin, obviously wanting her to be happy instead. Fuck, if what was mentioned earlier held true, then she'd even gone so far as babysitting little Philly just so he and Kyanna could go on dates. A bitter pill to swallow much? _Another thing for Mike to feel guilty about._

"You were waiting in the wings all this time, huh? I never saw you... not once... but you were here in Glenberry, helping out where I couldn't see you. _Behind the scenes._ "

"Damn right I was," Nora closed the gap, giving a smug scoff, stealing his lips, their sudden closeness sending a strangely cold, weighty tingle across his back. This one was different to the norm, disheartening - a feeling that only went away when Nora finally drew back.

"What's wrong?" A question asked with flare, one Mike couldn't bring himself to answer. "Not puttin' your heart into it there, Sparky."

All of these revelations, and in a single night no less, had brought a nervous line of thought to life. Mike shook his head, trying to put Nora at ease with a glass smile. "It's all good. This is just... a lot to take in is all. You should've called if you were in town so much."

"Every time I tried," Nora chuckled, turning the keys in the ignition, the engine roaring to life like a tiger released from the bars of its cage. "You didn't answer. Turns out we've learned a lot about each-other these past few weeks, eh ese?"  
_  
No kidding there_. Mike gave a nod, content to watch as the open road whizzed past, the many bars and clubs of the busy student town alight with LED's and neon. He'd learned more about his gorgeous chola schoolmate in the space of two weeks than he had in years. How much more didn't he know? How many more secrets were waiting? Between her shady choices of job as a teenager, to her connection to Kyanna, what else was she-

"No," Mike whispered. He needed to stop before his paranoia got out of control. This was Nora he was talking about - _Nora_. He gave her a passing glance as she focused on the driving, feeling the idiot for falling down the rabbit hole like this. She'd had his back for longer than anyone else. "I can believe in you... _I know that."_

* * *

Three in the morning. Mike stared at the red digits on the bedside clock, dressed down to his boxers and tangled up in a gently snoring Lillian. He grabbed for the timepiece with the one hand that hadn't been taken away by his gothic _something,_ staring in deep reflection as the time flicked to a minute past. A mental checklist buzzed to life in his thoughts, its gravity making it impossible for the much-needed gift of sleep to come.

No word from Kyu. They still weren't any closer to figuring out who was behind his stitch up with Charlotte and the band. Worse still, Nora had made her desires known, Lillian was butt naked, pressed up against his back, still without taking the morning after pill he'd given her when he got home... and then there was Nikki.

"I'm caught in a fucking spider web here..."

If there was a reason to feel like shit, to feel like a deplorable piece of garbage, then this was it. Ann-Marie played back in photographic flashes across his mental landscape, sat there in front of her television, droopy-eyed and propped up on energy drinks due to whatever the hell she'd been playing all night.

She'd given everything to help him... gone out of her way to try and prove he was better than people made him out to be. In return? He'd made a royal mess of things, _again._ Mike gave a bitter smile, setting the clock back down, watching again as the numbers on the screen flicked to four minutes past. _She was far better a young woman than he could hope to deserve._

Then there was Mark. When they'd spoken at the bar the other day he'd mentioned doing something to dig deeper. Just what exactly did he have in mind? The son of frighteningly wide-reaching business family, he probably had connections that spread far and wide across the west coast. The question was, would he use them just to help a friend in need?

_"I have to admit, Winters. The way you go about your affairs... sometimes quite literally with women, doesn't impress me, but regardless, you've always been loyal to your friends and comrades. I attest to finding that an admirable quality in you."_

Mike remembered that faithful old discussion word for word. That one came up right after he'd parted ways with Kyanna just before New Year. Hard to think that was almost twelve months ago, now. Two-thousand-sixteen was almost knocking. On the bittersweet flipside, the singer could be sure of one thing at the moment.

"I know too many women..."

Zero to Hero, and back to somewhere in-between again.

Mike sighed, closing his eyes, the sight of the ever growing list of women he'd been involved with or at least known in passing, further clamping down upon his desire to sleep.

 _Audrey_  
Tiffany  
Nikki  
Kyanna  
Nora  
Kyu  
Suki  
Lillian  
Charlotte

What was the name of the last one? _Dammit._ Mike struggled to bring a name to her face. Freckled, pink hair, not the brightest girl but easily one of the nicest people he'd ever met... though she could've done to kick the bad habits. Why was it so hard to remember what she was called? Shit... they'd hung out together shortly after he parted ways with Kyanna, up until the point he first hooked up with Audrey.

If anything, this only proved Mike's point further. _Too many women._ For a month they'd gone places, dancing, parties, first meeting when his bandmates dragged him into the local strip club. Hell, she'd almost gotten fired for slipping him free drinks at the end of her shifts. _How the fuck was it so hard to remember the name of a candyfloss-haired stripper?_

"Heeeeey Mike? You should come over to my place sometime. Sounds fun hmmm? We could watch a movie. Hehe! I'll let you choose. Whateeeever you waaaant!"

Word somehow reached Audrey's ears of that little remark. A slap in the face from the redhead later, and they didn't spend time together anymore. Her shifts changed, her liking of the white gold picked up, and they hadn't seen eye to eye since.

But, if anything, it was her smile, sweet and warming, that brought that all important moniker crashing home.

"Candace," Mike gave a tiny breath of relief. "Candace."

The only girl he'd been friends with without crossing the l-

_Bzzzzzz!_

Vibration snapped Mike from this particular line of thought, his attention drawn toward the Huniebee sat behind the clock. _Who was texting him at this hour?_ Curious to find out, he wriggled free of Lillian as best she could, careful not to wake the girl from her deep sleep, turning his body on an angle so he could reach just that little further. Fingers outstretched, he just about managed to grab the magical phone in a claw-like grasp and pull it close.

A swipe of the screen brought up the message box. Mike scrolled up to the newest one, his eyes widening the slightest fraction. Again his heart dipped, that dull, discomforting feeling from just a moment ago returning with a vengeance.

 _Nikki._ Did she have something? More info on the situation, maybe?

Pushing aside his feelings, Winters went about looking over what she felt was important. It was quite the paragraph.

_'Hey Mike. I know it's late but this couldn't wait. Audrey was acting a bitch again earlier. She dragged me to the club and started venting. I know right? Fun. That's not the important part, though. She had a friend with her, a girl I'd not seen before... and they started talking about you! Audrey mentioned something about 'nailing you to the wall', and the other girl shouted at her, saying it wasn't her idea to put the camera in your room. I took a video... sending it your way now.'_

As if on cue, the Huniebee vibrated in Mike's hand again. He flicked to the new clip, a couple of minutes long, pressing his thumb against the 'play' icon, slipping out of bed and into the lounge to listen.

* * *

One of the two faces sat in the booth beside the dancefloor made his stomach turn, a dizzying sway stealing his vision. Nikki had been smart enough to catch the conversation between songs, because they could be heard perfectly.

_"Don't go blamin' this on me, bitch. Wasn't my idea to go riggin' up a camera while he was fucked outta his mind and film it."_

There was no mistaking that voice, that hair, those cool blue eyes and the snappy denim jeans and jacket combo. Mike's fingers squeezed tight around the edges of his phone, the gaping jaws of humiliation near enough swallowing him whole.

_Nora._

"What?!" Audrey bit back, slapping her hands against the table with ferocity, so loud and obnoxious it stopped Mike from even being able to process what in the ever-loving fuck he was seeing. "You think I did this? Huh! Watch your step there, _ese_." She threw that last part out mockingly, earning a dangerous scowl from Miss Delrio. "I didn't do shit! All I wanted was take a few shots of his junk and post them in the comment section."

"Then if you didn't... and neither did I-"

Nora downed her rainbow colored shot and slammed her balled fist against the table.

Audrey's eyes widened - it was a sight to see, even on screen. "Oh fuck... You don't think when I called the other day she-"

At first Nora went quiet - stone silent. She plucked another drink from the melee of shot glasses in the middle of the table, her lips curving into a smile. She shook her head, breaking out into a cool, dry chuckle.

"Should've kept your little friend on a leash there, chica. Now look at the shit you're in."

"The shit _we're in_ ," Audrey corrected her, eyes of violent red narrowed, furious. "If he ever finds out then we're fucked."

"Not me." Nora downed her last drink, calm and collected, grabbing for her stylish cap and slipping it on. "Already got what I wanted. I'm good baby girl. You're the one that's screwed."

"OH FUCK OFF!" Audrey hissed, her back pressed up against her seat like a cat against a wall. She scowled at Nora as she began walking away, frantically reaching for her phone. "Where's geekazoid with my fucking drink?! I need to get to the bottom of this... call-"

The clip cut off - leaving Mike stood in the middle of the lounge with a bitter frown and a horrible quiver in his stomach. He dove toward the kitchen area, almost ripping the cap from the nearby liquor bottle and flooding a highball glass half full.

" _She fucking played me twice._ " His snarl echoed off the walls, the fingers of his left hand squeezing tight around the edges of the glass. Down in one, uncaring of the eye-watering burn brought by a fifth of a bottle of single malt.

Audrey he understood. Audrey he could almost sympathize with. It was payback. He'd been an utter bastard toward her, _but Nora?_ After all they'd been through, those days side by side in senior year, the beach, the watch, everything?!

"Like, fuck's wrong with you, cuz?" Lillian's voice acted as something of a sedative for the bitter pill of betrayal. Mike set the empty glass down against the counter, watching with the faintest hint of relief as the pasty brat, scruffy-haired, sleepy-eyed and devoid of any clothes save a pair of tight fitting black panties, wandered over and snatched up his arm. "Drinking this hour? S'like, totally bad, even for you..."

She snuggled closer, gazing up at him with those blue eyes of hers, a little clearer now from the haze of sleep.

"Sup? You 'kay right now? Totes looks like you're gonna cry. Ya know... whatevs bothering-"

Mike swept Lillian into his arms, a surprised squeak escaping as she found herself squeezed tight, hugged close as though she were the most precious thing in the world, and right now? _She was._ He buried his face against her shoulder, eyes dampened and his vision blurry.

"It's Nora." Mike inhaled stiffly, his lungs pulling tight and aching amidst the sudden flood of feelings. He locked eyes with Lillian again as she brought his head up with the help of a thumb against the chin. She held him there, quietly, her expression one of unusual care and consideration.

"Go on, Mike," she nodded, urging him to continue. "Know I can seriously hard to deal with sometimes... _but I'm listening._ "

"Nora." It was painful just saying the name again, especially in light of all this. Mike found his hands shaking, squeezed tight around Lillian's skinny middle. Sighing, he closed his eyes, placing a tender kiss upon her forehead. _At least he could trust her._ "She's involved in the whole thing with the video somehow... along with Audrey. A friend just sent something my way. No denying that."

" _What?"_ The coldness of his cousin's single response, brought a wave of terror within Mike's already turbulent stomach. He'd never heard her sound like that before, quietly hoped he'd never hear her sound like it again, either.

Lillian's nails dug into his skin, subconscious and stinging. "Belrose and Nora, _together?_ For reals... you're not screwing with me, are you?"

"No," Mike freed up one of his hands and dried his eyes. "Here." He reached out and grabbed hor his Huniebee. Lillian took her arms from around his shoulders, just long enough to watch the clip for herself. By the time she was done, her expression fell, became twisted, filled with bile, sinister.

"Fan-fucking-tastic. Guess I made the wrong move asking for her help." Setting the phone down on the counter, she looked to Mike, who at this point wanted nothing more than to jump back into the whiskey again. She snatched the bottle from him, however, taking a hasty swig for herself before hiding it behind her back. "Looks like it's just you and me from here on out. If she calls again, _drop it._ I'll do the same."

Mike nodded, reaching for the firewater, but Lili gave his hand a warning, surprisingly sharp slap. "Ouch. Alright. Alright. No more booze."

With Nora tied up in all of this, it left their roads for help limited. Markus was still on the case, and Nikki, if he ever had the strength to look her in the eye again. Still, the most useful person of all was still nowhere to be found.

"Kyu."

 _"You say something?"_ Lillian's sobering question pulled the blond back from his headspace, giving the jolt he needed to realize he'd spoken the fairy's name aloud.

"Not a thing," Mike replied. Where in the world was his otherworldly guardian right now? Was she really seeing another client, or was she on the longest vacation known to man? Either way, she wasn't here, where her magic would've been quite useful, all things considered.

"Hey," Lillian took the Huniebee back into her hands again and set down the bottle, a look of deep thought across her pale features as she tapped her fingertips against the screen. "You know in the clip? There's like, something Nora said... made me think. Here! Lemme rewind!"

About halfway through, she hit the 'play' icon again, huddling next to Mike so they could both see what was happening.  
_  
"Should've kept your little friend on a leash there, chica. Now look at the shit you're in."_

"Friend on a leash?" Lillian spoke in questioning, hitting pause again and handing the phone back. "You got a clue what the hell she's talking about there?"

"No idea." No amount of thinking it over brought any clear answers. There wasn't anybody else who came to mind with an issue big enough to screw somebody over like this. Even as Mike ran through all the girls he'd been involved with a second time. "A friend of Audrey's?"

Tiffany was out of the question. She simply didn't have it in her to hurt someone like this. Nikki too. So who-

"Tell you what?" Lillian sounded up again. "Since I'm like, you're fave person ever," she winked, "Annnnd I'm pretty much your GF now... I'll go ask around myself, 'kay? The college campus. Someone's gotta know something, riiight?"

The notion of girlfriend brought a small tug at the heart strings. If they ever went official there'd be plenty of questions from plenty of people, and some of them not pretty. Regardless, Mike couldn't bring himself to refuse. Deep down... in a way beyond the simple use of words... _he loved her, alright._ He couldn't take that away. Nothing could take that away, even if he hadn't quite figured everything out yet.

"It's as good a place as any to start. Thanks Lilli."

"Heh," she put her arms around him again, stealing his lips in a quick peck. "Welcome. Now, get your ass back to bed. Girl needs her beauty sleep... and a smoke, damn. It's waaaay too stressful dealing with you."

Mike kissed Lillian back, watching from the kitchen as she walked through to the bedroom, giving a teasing wiggle of her rounded behind as she went.

"You're not the first person to tell me that..."

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you feel about the reveal? Where do you think things will go from here? Feel free to share your thoughts and let me know what you think. I wanted to go with the a very strong vibe of nobody can be trusted in this story. I hope I've done a good job of delivering that kinda atmosphere. Also,  
> if you'd like regular updates on all my stories you can also follow me on DeviantArt.
> 
> As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	16. Downtown Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't expecting this one, either. In fact, I had this chapter in the works, but I wasn't expecting it finished so soon. It's shorter than usual but hey, I've come to notice as of late that a chapter doesn't have to be staggering to have impact.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one. I had plenty of fun writing it! Certain members of the Hunie cast just resonate with me.

Mike slumped against the bar. Another night, another washed out drinking pit. The Downtown district never failed to provide two-a-penny spots like these. People frequented hovels like this one to detach. A mental checklist popped up as Mike flashed his surroundings with foggy eyes. An old man in the corner grumbling about the mayor? _Check._ A forty-something woman, crammed into a mini skirt several sizes too small, looking at her significantly younger date as though she was going to eat him for breakfast? _Check._ Dented dukebox in the corner with a perpetual loop of the same dozen Country music songs? _Oh God yes. That was here too._

_"I never should'a leeeeft my sweetheart... in old town Tennessee, but that was when I found mah baby girl, waitin' back home for me. I'm juuuust a lonely cowboy... oh tell me why can't you see? That's when I told my momma, that Brandy ain't the one for me."_

Anything but these depressive tunes. Why in the ever-loving fuck couldn't Country musicians sing about something happy? Nope. It was always about their women leaving them or their dogs dying. _Always._

"What's someone your age doing in here, eh kid? Shouldn't you be uptown in one of the clubs- Say... haven't I seen you on local TV before? Ain't you some kind of singer? Yeah... I'm sure of it."

At least the barman was friendly. An older man, late forties to early fifties. He wore the typical shirt and pants with waistcoat scenario, and held a strong but wise face. Thin hair and a greying moustache. He'd been nice enough to pop over and refill Mike's glass, giving him thoughtful words to chew over.

 _That was why someone Mike's age came in here._ It didn't matter the customers. As long as the barman was nice, you were set. The musician had truly lost count of the amount of barmen, or barwomen, depending on where he went, had given him advice when he so desperately needed it.

"I'm something like that." Mike rose up from the swamp of his troubles, giving something of a grateful thin smirk to show his thanks. He slid his empty glass across the bar. "Give me your thoughts on something... but first... mind sharing your name? Can't keep calling you Barman, can I?"

"Pete." At last the face had a name to go with it. He reached for the highball glass, setting it aside and getting a fresh one. "What's troubling you? Seen too many folks walk in here with a look like that. Here."

"A double. On the house."

Mike swept up his fresh drink, slamming back a hard mouthful, gulping it down. _Relief_.

Nora. The issue of Miss Delrio was finally sinking in. It was almost too much, having to try and put words to the kind of shitty this level of betrayal made you feel. She'd really stuck the knife in deep, all while playing the part of the perfect bro. Clever. In control. Almost too dangerous.

"It's my friend. Known her a long time. Some shit's gone down and between you and me? Don't know if I can trust her anymore."

"Ah, the crux of the problem. _Woman troubles."_ Pete set down the glass he'd been washing, more attentive now than Mike had seen him all night. He leaned closer, tuning out the handful of customers he really should've been serving. "Been there... Bout time I ask your name, isn't it?"

"Mike."

"Been there, Mike," Pete began with an all too telling exale. Deliver hand in hand with the worn expression of 'I'm too old for this shit'. "Your friend... I'm gonna go out on a limb here. I'm guessing she's way more than a simple 'friend'. I'm on the money, aren't I?"

"You can say that again... especially after the other night."

"These tired old eyes still do a fine job of reading between the lines. You know what I think, especially since you look the part of a heartbreaker? Ask yourself something. How does she make you feel when you're with her? Are there other girls out there more deserving of your time?"

Pete gave a sly chuckle. "C'mon. Kid like you? You have more than one girl on the go, right?"

"Excuse me?" Mike gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Alright... you got me. Yeah. It's closer to four at the moment."

"Knew it. Now that we're past the first hurdle... What did this friend of yours do, exactly? That is, if you don't mind a stranger askin'."

The ease of sharing the things that ailed you with a total stranger was what made it worthwhile. Pete here would give a totally unbiased opinion. He didn't know any one of the girls involved. Given the whispers spreading around town as of late, it was something Mike appreciated.

"She used me... Got close, and then I found out she's part of a something I'm trying to fix. I trusted her more than most. That's what hurts like a kick in the gut. We went through school together."

"Definately been there." Pete sounded all too sore in his response. A scoff, narrowed eyes, and an shake of the head. "My ex-wife? Highschool sweetheart. I come home from a double shift at the old Divinity nightclub across the flashy side of town. The place that's Lusties now. I find her laid out across the carpet with one of our old classmates... panties 'round her ankles."

"Ouch." Mike felt the burn, even if he hadn't been there. "Sorry there, Pete."

"No, don't sweat it. My advice for you with someone like that? A girl that'll wrap her hand around your heart? They're bad news. You might want to think about getting rid of her. Give one of the other girls a short. Talk to someone... other than me I mean. You might find what you're a-"

The laid back, glum country music clashed violently with the cheery, almost bouncy melody of music in another language. High pitched girls singing their lines in perfect sync. Mike didn't shift from his drink, but from the edge of his vision he made out a sizable number of the regulars gawking like the owner of said music had pissed on hallowed ground. Where was that sound coming from?

" _Arigato, Miko-chan. Yeah! Yeah! Hai hai! Ichiban gomenasai!"_

Japanese. Nikki had sat him through a video game or two with subtitles and dramatic fight scenes. Overly-ripped hero types duked it out in mid-air, screaming something about power levels and nine-thousand. Mike indulged the gamer girl with a smile and mashed a few buttons every time she put the controller his way. The question was still unanswered, though.

Who in a faded, grungy place like this, the kind of flea pit that likely hadn't seen a lick of paint since before he was born, was listening to Japanese music? A bar stool scratched across the floor, off to the side. Its sharp, freaking awful sound rung in Mike's ears. He still didn't look, didn't want to attract attention.

"Um-Hm!" Whoever had sat down cleared their throat. Probably wanting Pete's attention. It wasn't until Mike finally looked up from his drink however, that he realized. _Pete stared straight at him._ At least before nudging his glance in the way of the stranger, that sunshine bright music still chiming from what sounded like phone speakers.

"Think the lady's after you, sport. I've got other customers."

Pete took off, fast. Mike tensed as a hand took a hold of his shoulder, fingertips pretty much caressing him.

_"Miiike-saaaan. It is you isn't it, senpai? I never forget a face."_

That voice. So bubbly and upbeat. Not even the shittiest day in the world could bring it down. Mike flashed back. Photographs flooded his thoughts. A dark, gloomy night. A painful breakup from a relationship that was never technically official. Far too much booze, even to his standards. A girl crammed into a hot pink dress, tissue paper thin. The voice matched the person. _Oh yeah. It was her, alright._

"Suki?"

"Miiiikey! Oh it's been so long! Kimochi desu, ka? It's great to see you! Come here!"

Mike didn't get the luxury of preparation. The next thing he knew, an ample chest suffocated him, half his body squeezed tight in a crunching hug, the scent of sickly sweet perfume swallowing him. Arms wrapped his back like a snake.

Just as the air about started leaving his lungs, there came release. Mike inhaled sharply, shaking himself clear. His Japan obsessed friend cocked her head like a little puppy dog. It made the frustration at being grabbed fizzle out. Instead, he found himself, for some reason, smiling back at her.

Pete's earlier words came racing back.

_"Talk to someone... other than me."_

For all of her quirks, Suki was a damn good listener, and surprisingly understanding behind the sugar-coated surface. That's when the guilt kicked in. Mike had kept her number on his phone all this time. Never once called.

"I'm kind of shocked to see you back in town, Suki. It's been-"

"A year and two months since I saw you... as of last Thursday. Crazy how time flies, ne?"

Well... that was unexpected. She'd been counting.

"Let me buy you a drink," Mike offered, throwing the best 'Help me out' glance he could back the way of Pete.

* * *

Two double scotches, a hit of malt, three shots, and a lot of trashy looks from other patrons later, Mike finally felt his shoulders easing. The ice was broken, and he'd learnt plenty about what'd been going on since Suki went back to Eaglewood for her classes.

"So you moved here? To Glenberry? How have I not seen you around town?"

"Yeaaaah! That's right! Two months ago, when my classes finished. _Orokana._ Silly Mikey! I work in the BOA shop Downtown. You sleep all day. Of course you haven't seen me!"

A simple explanation but it made sense. He sang every other weekend, did solo performances to fill the gaps, and sometimes worked night shift at the Bar and Lounge when they were short staffed. Whatever the weather, whatever the job, Mike usually dragged his ass up around Noon and went to work at five or six in the afternoon. Came home anywhere between one and three in the morning.

"Well... it's good to know you're around." For some reason, more a feeling he couldn't match with words, he seriously felt that way. Suki had turned up at the right time, twice now, ironically.

"Awwww! Kawaii! You missed me, didn't you? Well... you'll be happy now on, cuz Suki-chan's not going anywhere."

 _Good to know._ A friend he could trust... someone to rely on. Even if he had spent most of their last meeting face-first between her-

_"Come my lady! Come come my lady! You're my Butterfly! Sugar! Baby!"_

The Huniebee, complete with custom ringtone. It sang out in Mike's pocket. He reached for it, "One sec."

"Oooookay!" Suki tapped her fingers against the bar, waiting patiently.

"What's up?" The singer put the fairy phone against his ear. He'd not been expecting any calls, but Lillian had mentioned asking around campus to get some leads. It was her face flashing up on screen, too. So, who knew? Maybe she'd found something. "You were out by the time I woke up."

"Chyeaaa! Totes got the scoop for ya, cuz! That girl? The chuuby one in the video you boned. S'like, seriously shocking. So I went Downtown today. Friend of mine said she'd seen her lately, and you like, never fucking guess. Oh-em-gee."

As much as Mike cared about Lillian, she struggled with getting to the point. "Anytime today would be lovely."

"Like, screw you," she spat back, popping her gum over with a _splat,_ chewing like a camel. "'Kay. So I went into this shop and... you'll never fucking gue- Shit. Battery on my cell's runnin' low. I'll call you back when I dig out my charger. Laters, babe!"

No sooner had Mike put his phone away did Suki snatch up his hands, squeezing them tight. The look in her eyes. Deep. Longing. Ocean blue.

"I just had the most super awesome idea, Mike-san! You're not doing anything tonight, are you?"

He gave a slightly mocking sweep of the establishment, just to prove the point. "Does it look like I'm doing anything?"

"Derpy question. Gomen, ne! Why don't you come over to my place?! It'll be fun! You looked so sad when I came in here and... well. Suki doesn't like it when her Senpai's all gloomy. C'mon... It'll be good. I have a huuuuge fifty inch TV and soooo much anime! I'd love to watch some together... _the two of us_."

Anime? That was Suki's answer to fixing his quiet aches and pains. Romantic dramas set in highschool and orange-haired warriors swinging around swords ten feet tall? _What kind of woman invited a guy back to her place to watch an-_ No. Stupid question. This one. In a single night and the morning after he'd learned she lived and breathed it.

Still. Mike sighed. She looked so excited, like a kid set free in a candy store with a bag full of change, or kinda like he did the first time he took a violin out of its case.

There was no refusing those wide eyes. Mike downed his drink, basking in the burn. "Okay... you win."

"Yeaaah! _Odoroku Bakari_! Coooome on. Let's get going! You. Will. Love. Star Ocean."

Mike was already down the barstool and halfway to the chipped, creaky door before he even registered moving from the spot.

He smiled on the inside. Time away from this whole mess, away from Lillian, away from Nora, and away from the pain that facing Nikki again. _Yes. This was a good idea._ Strange how a friend appeared when you least expected it. Didn't matter, though. He was grateful. Sometimes shit just... fell into place.

"Thanks, Suki," he whispered as she pulled him through the door and out into the streets, the night alive with bright lights and neon.

The golden girl spun back, holding his hands tighter, giving a playful, happy go lucky wink.

_"My pleasure, Senpai! Anything for youuuu!"_

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you have it. Another chapter comes to a close. Did you enjoy it? Is there anything you'd like to see in future? Feel free to share your thoughts. As I said, despite this one being short, I'm very happy with the way it came out.
> 
> As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio. I'll see you in the next chapter!


	17. Conscience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have it! Another chapter of Envy Problems. I hope you guys and girls enjoy reading this one, because I had a lot of fun writing it. Hard to believe this story has been going on for so long, but we're about to reach a turning point. I won't say anymore than that.

_Who was safe to trust?_

It was hard to tell anymore.

_Had Nora been using him all along?  
_

He was afraid to think about it too much.

_How did he allow himself to fall so far?_

Asking too many questions drove a man insane: or a lesser man to the bottle.

Another three glasses of liquor: the cheap kind. Half a bottle of wine, three shots of something that looked like a rainbow and tasted like pure sugar, and a hit of disgusting bargain-basement malt to wash it all down. There was drinking and then there was... _this._ Mike had never hidden away from his draw to the booze. Smoking wasn't his forte, and outside of one or two brownies (both of which were by total accident), he'd never cared for drugs. Wasn't his thing.

But this was more than excessive, even to his standards. Suki had been all too welcoming when they got back to her place. It made the inner-chaos that much easier to cope with.

"Miiiike-san," she cheered, leaping up from the couch and punching at the huge monster on the TV screen like a chubby boxer. "This is soooo cool, ne?"

"Yeaaah. 'S good. 'S good." Not that he was following the plot anymore. _Weird._ He'd been fine until the last drink, but now?

The room moved in circles, the wood panels beneath his feet unsteady. Left to right. Left to right. His stomach dropped like a fair ride. It was so hot in here all of the sudden. The top three buttons of his shirt were the first to go, followed by the rest of them. _E-Everything's fine,_ he told himself, and no matter how much the violent ocean waves shook him.

 _No... This wasn't alright. It wasn't alright at all._ Heavy. Too heavy. Suki's words distorted, slowed and skewed, the lights as bright as the sun, bleeding into the front of his skull. His skin flared, the perpetual sway unending.

_T-too much booze. Waaaaaay t'much fucking b-_

"S-Suki," he rasped: a struggle. "I-I'm gonna puke..."

"It's all okay, Senpai. I've got you... lemme pause this reeeeeal quick."

"Urrrrrrrl... Urgh... Urrrrgh-"

Green and black sludge stared Mike back from the toilet bowl. But the relief was all too real. His companinion held his hair, somewhat long for a guy he'd often been told, out of the way.

"It's fine, Mikey," Suki comforted him with a gentle pat on the back. "Let it all out. Kohai's with you... she won't eeeever let you go."

A flush of the handle cleaned the evidence of his stupidity away. Exhausted, Mike slumped against the welcoming cold of the porcelain.

"Heeeeey," Suki giggled. "If you stay there how am I gonna go pee?"

Vile is it was, the first thing that came to mind fell straight out. "Pee in the sink," he groaned, pulling himself away from the toilet and flopping against the grubby tiles at his back. "It's nice 'n cold over here."

" _Hentai_ ," the otaku snorted and giggled, not bothered the slightest bit. "C'mon."

Suki reached out, dragging him upright and leading, her hands held tightly in his, back into the dinky lounge. Mike sank into the leather as soon as she let go, more alive now, at the very least. "There we are. Feelin' better now, senpai?"

"Room's stopped spinning," Mike remarked with thanks: now he only needed to contend with this throbbing headache.

" _Subarashi,_ " Suki tottered off, the sound of running water feeling his ears. She came back with a big glass topped up high with ice cubes. "For you!"

 _Damn she was spoiling him._ Talk about the star treatment. He asked for drinks? Half a bar came out from the cubby space beside the fridge. He didn't quite follow the plot of the show they were watching? Suki sauntered right on over and changed it. She'd waiting on him hand and foot all night long.

"Thank you." A hearty hit of hydration to fix this self-incurred fuck up. Mike downed it, placing the glass on the floor beside the arm of the sofa. "You're quite the host."

"Hai! You betcha!" Suki reached for the remote and sprawled out again, unpausing whatever in the world they were watching. A giant robot romped across futuristic cityscape made battleground, firing a building-sized assault rifle at a floating diamond thing.

 _Well._ 'Clueless' wasn't even the word to use when the musician thought about anime and Japanese cartoons, but given how nice Suki had been so far, he figured he'd play along and try taking an interest. He put what concentration he had into the massive clash playing out on screen, orange explosions shaking the surround-sound speakers.

_"No... don't run away! Get back in the damn robot, Shinji!"_

_"But Asuka..."_

A yawn from Suki. No wonder she was tired, especially if the clock on the wall was right.

_3.37am._

"I'm soooo tired. Lemme take a quick nap, okay?"  
_  
_ Mike flinched at the sudden weight against his shoulder. Another yawn from the anime fan, this one deeper: she snuggled against his arm, laying her head against his bicep with a contented smile. "You're sooo warm," she giggled, "I could get used to this..."

 _She's harmless as a kitten_.

A gentle chuckle. An easy smile.

For all the quirks, the fake tan, the flowery Japanese dresses, and the general... _uniqueness_ that was Suki, she had this vibe about her. Something special that she and she alone gave out. Calming? Not quite... and not soothing, either. _Welcoming_ , more like. No other girl, from Nora to even Tiffany brought out this sort of reaction.

Maybe it was because of their first meeting? Mike didn't know. Two strangers brought together. They'd not known a damn thing about the other's life. And by the morning sunrise, after a messy wakeup kiss and a shower, they'd sure as ever learned a lot more. Was that the reason why?

 _Perhaps some things aren't worth overthinking,_ he told himself. While Suki snoozed on his arm, the singer brought out the Huniebee. Lillian hadn't called back. Whatever she'd planned to share, she sounded worked up about. Any sort of lead would've been great. They were back at square one again. Yeah. They knew Audrey and Nora were tied into this whole cluster of shit, but who was the one-

An idea. Mike looked to the sleeping girl, patting her head softly.

What if Suki could help? She was the last person his enemies would expect to be lending a helping hand in the way of getting to the bottom of everything. Add that to her being new in town, and it was a winning idea. Then again... anything was a winning idea considering his terrible run this past month or two.

"Most of my bridges are burned now."

A sobering thought, but one he couldn't hide from anymore.

Mark hadn't turned up with anything new yet. Not that his line of injury was going to be quick from the get go. The son of a rich family he wasn't fond of, digging into one of their shady businesses? That took time.

"Nikki," Mike sighed, every time he thought about her that awful churn of the stomach came back. She'd been endlessly forgiving, and even if, by some freaking miracle, she forgave him again... _there was no forgiving himself._

What about Tiffany? _Nope_. He wasn't afraid to ask her, but the resentment was bound to be strong there. After the time she'd caught him under Nikki's bed?

A frustrated sigh. Suki was his last option. "I'll ask her before I leave."

* * *

Five in the morning. Not a wink of sleep yet, and the mouthful of hangover pills from the bathroom cabinet weren't working.

Suki mumbled in her sleep, curled up on the couch: having stripped down to her bra and panties. That left Mike huddled in the smallest corner, with a pillow acting as a dividing line, not that he could sleep with a drill boring into his brain. He needed to freshen up some, and wait for the relief to kick in. It was too damn hot in here.

The top floor apartment of a converted three story motel, halfway between Lusties and Downtown. It gave Kyanna's place a run for its money. Both when it came to space and being far too hot.

"Better," a thankful breath. "I needed that."

Mike leaned up against the bathroom sink, splashing a handful of cold water against his face. At last, he feel the pressure around his skull, like two hands squeezing his temples, easing. A discomforting jabbing sensation around the back of his head refused to let up, but it was bearable. Maybe now he'd get some sle-

_Clank!_

He reached for the tap too quickly, knocking his watch, Nora's watch, down somewhere near the toilet.

"Fuck..." A sharp pang. No matter how she'd hurt him... nothing took away their teen years. He kneeled to pick it up, reaching around the trash can without more than the help of a weak mirror light. _No good._ Too dark. This was the sort of illumination Mark had over at his place. Not that Kane didn't have a good reason for it.

"Found it."

A pull of the cord brought the overhead bulb blinking into action. Now... where was the watch? Where- Ah, there it was. Mike scooped it up, something thin and plastic falling from the trash. He fell back back when he realized what it was, saved by the wall from a nasty knock to the head. _It couldn't have been, could it?_

A sleek stick with a digital screen. He'd seen Audrey buy these more than once: had the box of one brand close to memorized.

"Pregnancy test?"

Mike averted his eyes, feeling downright awful for even knocking it to the carpet on accident. _What should I do?_ Did he put it back where he found it and wash his hands? If he left it on the floor like this it'd look like he was-

Floorboards creaked in the lounge. Mike's swallowed his heart: a dead weight in his stomach.

"Mike-san?" Suki called out in a daze. "How are you feeling?"

_Put it back!_

Slam-dunking the thing into the trash hadn't been the intention, but then again, neither was seeing the result. Mike busied himself with washing his hands clean, a displeased, bedraggled man staring him back in the glass: he had to push it away, for the sake of his friend's privacy. He hadn't meant to look.

Water swirled in the sink, a fateful distraction. But sadly not enough to make him forget the screen's reading.

_Negative._

"I'm fine," he spoke back, grabbing for the hand towel, "just freshening up. How about you?"

"Sleeepy."

Flicking off the light, Mike returned to the lounge, feeling around the kitchen-top to reach the couch. It was so much harder stop the thoughts from overflowing in the dark, he found. The soft ticking of the clock. And Suki's breathing beside him... getting closer... and closer... and closer. All of it combined was dizzying, even with all the alcohol he'd knocked back.

Suki's arms snaked around his shoulders, "There you are," she invaded his ear, a shiver crawling down his back. "I'm cold..."

"Now that you mention it... me too."

Wasn't a breeze though. It felt more like air conditioning. _Strange._ Was the air conditioning on when he'd gone to the bathroom? _No._ It was like an oven in here just ten minutes ago: hotter than Audrey's place that one time she'd not paid the electric in the summer. Sitting in that box of hers without fans didn't- _What the Hell?_ How in the world had the diva come to mind, of all people?

Suki's chuckle floated through the air, her palms crawling across the surface of the skin. Two sapphires broke through the inky black, leering into Mike's soul. They narrowed, coming nearer and nearer until their noses touched.

" _Watashi wa, anata o atatakaku tamochimasu..."_

Those foreign words, no matter which way you cut it, sounded so... warm-blooded.

"Care to translate for me? Language isn't my strong point."

"Hehe... I'll keep you warm."

The girl snuggled close, her bare skin surprisingly soft against Mike's shirtless chest.

She'd keep him warm? Some good, honest comfort without strings attached? It'd been too long. Why not welcome it?

"Go ahead."

This sensation was so strange. Not hollow: nor lustful. _He'd missed it so much._

Their eyes locked tight, blue and green meeting in a silent instant of eternity. Cracks formed, spreading further and further until there was nothing to hold back a lone, painful tear. Every time he held a girl, the guilt pressed down, almost crushing. It'd started a couple of weeks ago, and every time it happened?

_Nikki smiled with wide, innocent eyes._

"It'd mean a lot." Leaning in, Mike placed a fragile kiss upon Suki's cheek, holding her for dear life - overwhelmed. His face dampened with water: Suki's shoulder, as well.

"Mike?" The Otaku opened up, filled with concern, her cheery surface shaken and flat. No 'Senpai'. No 'Mike-san'. Just a regular girl free of the pep. It almost sounded... familiar. "Mike? What's hurting? You can tell me..."

"Don't let me go, Suki," he exhaled, the flashes of all he'd done coming to life, reaching into him: every word, every promise, and all the betrayal. Yeah some of the ladies around town hadn't been fair, but he'd been even more of a royal bastard. And now? A sightless hand gripped his heart tight. "I'm so low that it don't know what to do... _I'm a mess_."

Truth, white and innocent, given to a friend. Never in his life, had Mike Winters ever felt so horribly, dangerously weak.

"Sarah," she spoke, placing her lips against his forehead. "It's Sarah..."

A fleeting glint, so quick, so human, so real.

"But I like being Suki," she admitted, back on form with a wide, ear-to-ear smile. "So long as you care for me both ways, senpai... I'll be the dearest friend you could ask for. Every time we meet you're soooo sad... but doooon't you worry... cuz I'll change that. We'll change it together."

Mike surrendered to her consoling words. "I'll count on you, then."

In Suki's arms he was safe.

"Thaaat's right. You just count on Suki-chan. I'll never let you down, Mike... _Never_."

She wouldn't lead him astray. Just like before, she'd be his guiding light.

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. Suki has promised she'll stick by Mike and help him out. Where will things go from here? You might not think it, but I'm really enjoying writing these interactions between Mike and Miss Stevens. Feel free to leave some feedback and share your thoughts as well!
> 
> As always, keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio. I'll see you in the next chapter! Thanks again!


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